John D. Luening

1935 - 2020

John David Luening

Feb. 21, 1935 - Sept. 7, 2020

Washington

Dave grew up in the Washington, DC area with his widowed mother and two older sisters at the home of his grandfather, George Washington Combs, a Capitol Hill columnist for The Baltimore Sun. He passed away at home with his loving wife, Doris, at Galloway Ridge, in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Dave's generous and caring presence made people feel at ease. He was kind and intelligent, with a quiet integrity and a delightful sense of humor. He was beloved by those who knew him in many different contexts.

Dave attended both Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of Tennessee, graduating in 1957. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He and his wife Doris met as college students both working for the summer in Yellowstone Park. The two were married after graduation. Dave began a 30-year career with IBM, where his responsibilities grew with the burgeoning mainframe business that heralded the information age. On assignment in Tokyo, he became the first non-Japanese board member of IBM Japan and helped found IBM China. After retiring from IBM, he worked with a boutique management consulting firm, Marakon Associates, and as an expert witness in the area of intellectual property, contracts, and licensing.

As a pilot for over 50 years, with instrument and multi-engine ratings, Dave flew for business and family reasons. He was one of four founders of Cape Air, an airline that started with a few planes and grew to be the largest independent regional airline in the United States, with operations in New England, the Midwest, and the Caribbean. He also enjoyed flying with Angel Flights that transports patients in need of medical care.

The Luening family has a summer home on Martha's Vineyard, MA. Dave was a founder and recent President of the Great Pond Foundation, where he served as a director for over two decades. He was also a member of the Edgartown Ponds Committee that reflected the interests of homeowners, fishermen, and environmentalists.

Dave was an active member of University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N C., a church he truly loved. His remains will be placed there in the rose garden memorial area. Plans for a memorial service will take shape after the current pandemic is over. Memorial gifts may be donated to your charity of choice.

Surviving Dave are his wife of sixty three years, Doris Asbury Luening; son, J. Randolph Luening; daughter, Kitty Luening Culbert, and husband, John Culbert; granddaughters Taylor Culbert and Christa Culbert and husband, Stuart Montgomery; grandson, Charlie Culbert; sister, Leila Luening King; brother-in-law, Stewart Asbury and wife Jennifer Jones Asbury; and several nieces and nephews.