John B. Mahon

East Lyme - On the morning of Friday, June 26, 2015, Capt. John B. Mahon, of Niantic, retired from the U.S. Coast Guard, passed away peacefully, surrounded by the comfort of his wife, Bette, and all his children beside him. John was 82 years old, born in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 19, 1932, to Frank Alton Mahon and Vera Finch Mahon Rose.

John attended University High School in St. Louis where he excelled in academics and was a star basketball player. He went on to play for Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, graduating in 1955. He then came to New London to attend the Coast Guard Officer Candidate School and began his Coast Guard career in Oahu, Hawaii. It is here that John developed his great love for the sea having a special connection to the former buoy tender, the Ironwood. It is also in Hawaii where he met the love of his life, Bette Cook, proposing to her in Honolulu only weeks after meeting.

After being transferred to San Francisco, John served as an admiral's aide and public affairs officer. In his duties, he coordinated the visits of the great French statesman Charles De Gaulle, as well as the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. Later in his career, he was particularly proud to attend to then Vice President George H. W. Bush at the commencement of the USCGA Class of 1983. Prior to literary fame, author Alex Haley worked for John as a journalist, and even after he left the service, Haley had a profound effect on the Mahon family.

In the fall of 1960, John became a professor at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, where he taught English and history. During this time he completed his graduate degrees in English at the University of Connecticut. He served as head of the Humanities Department from 1979 until his retirement from the service in 1985 as captain and professor emeritus. He continued to offer his teaching gifts for several years at Mohegan Community College (now Three Rivers).

With a powerful and beautiful baritone voice and a flair for drama, it is no wonder John would find his way to the stage. From his first role as a roustabout in the musical "Carnival" in 1967, John made the stage his home, performing in countless plays and musicals throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island. Along with his wife, Bette, he performed with the East Lyme Arts Council in many Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas including H.M.S Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. He appeared regularly at the Colonial Theater and Shakespeare in the Park productions in Westerly. One of his favorite roles was in Max Showalter's musical Touch of the Child, in which he played Zachariah at the Ivoryton Playhouse (1991) and Garde Arts Center (1993).

Of greatest importance to John was service to others. Serving on the board of directors for the Garde Arts Center, he helped to bring the theater to its present beauty and success. He changed the lives of so many families as both volunteer and board president for Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut. At the Niantic Community Church, John provided strong and steady direction working on many committees throughout the years. He acted on his love of history and its preservation serving on the Samuel Smith House board. John reached out a loving hand to all in need helping to develop educational and spiritual programs for incarcerated women through the organizations, A Sacred Place, Inc. and The Barbara Fund. Always looking to improve educational opportunities, he especially enjoyed working on the Advisory Board of the Science and Technology Magnet High School of Southeast Connecticut in New London.

John is survived by his wife, Bette of Niantic; his children Jonathan Mahon of Niantic, Bryan Mahon and his wife, Meg, of Niantic, Scott Mahon and his wife, Wendy, of Lyme, and Pamela Mahon of Portland, Oregon. He also leaves behind his beloved grandchildren, Erica Page and her husband, Tyler, of Niantic and their children, Isla and Finn, Makaila Mahon of Old Saybrook, Haley Mahon of Lyme, and Connor Mahon Schulz of Portland, Oregon. He is also survived by his sister, Barbara Mahon of St. Louis.

He is predeceased by his sister, Jane Mahon, also of St. Louis; his daughter, Barbara Mahon of Waterford; and his foster son, Joe Rowley.

A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the Niantic Community Church in Niantic.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following organizations: A Sacred Place, Inc., Attention Barbara Fund, PO Box 493, Old Saybrook, CT 06475-0493; Habitat for Humanity of Eastern Connecticut, 377 Broad St., New London, CT 06320; or the Niantic Community Church, 170 Pennsylvania Ave., Niantic, CT 06357.