John Franklin Jameson II

1931 - 2022

JAMESON

JOHN FRANKLIN JAMESON II

John Franklin Jameson II of Vienna, VA, passed away December 19, 2022, with his loving wife, BJ Shorak, by his side. Fondly called John, Jack or Jamie by various people in his life, John was a beloved brother, husband, father, father-in-law, Gramps, friend, and public servant. John found joy connecting with and affirming those he loved. He took a keen interest in their careers and hobbies through visits, phone calls, and by faithfully clipping articles of their interests to send to them. John was eagerly looking forward to 2023 to celebrate 35 years with BJ and the birth of his first great-grandchild. John was born June 5, 1931, in Washington, DC, to Francis Christie Elwell Jameson and Mary Lee Phillips Jameson. He attended John Quincy Adams Elementary School, Gordon Junior High, Western High School (now the Duke Ellington School for the Arts), George Washington University (BA in foreign affairs and graduate study in public administration), all in Washington, DC, and the Naval Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI. John led his family by example with a strong work ethic, a gentle spirit, and his dedication to serving others, first as a young boy in the Boy Scouts; then, as a young man, in Naval Intelligence in Charleston, SC, and Washington, DC (1953-1958). John retired as a Lieutenant in the Naval Reserves in 1991. During his stellar 36-year career at the Smithsonian Institution (1958-1994), John worked under four Smithsonian Secretaries. He served as an archivist, assistant treasurer, Director of Programming and Budget, Assistant Secretary for Administration, Acting Under Secretary, senior advisor to the Secretary, Acting Director of the Smithsonian Associates, and Acting Director of the Archives, among other positions. He received the Secretary's Exceptional Service Medal in 1972 for his accomplishments managing the budget process and the Smithsonian's Joseph Henry Medal in 1991 for his contributions to administration and public service. John also received letters of appreciation from notables such as the Archbishop of Washington, Senator John Glenn, General Foods president James Ferguson, and President Ronald Reagan for assistance provided on their visits to the Smithsonian. When asked at retirement, John said he would title his Smithsonian memoirs, "Reminiscences of a Pleasant (and Hopefully Productive) 36 Years." Ever self-effacing, he over-simplified his significant contributions. Upon retiring in 1994, John continued serving others through volunteer work for the next two decades. At the Accokeek Foundation in Maryland, he provided executive leadership support to its President developing strategic plans and annual budgets and he served on its Board. He was also a faithful volunteer tax preparer with AARP for senior and low-income persons. John maintained his clever wit and sense of humor right to the end. Returning from the store with BJ's favorite cookies, he remarked he was just a "rugelach" guy. In the hospital mid-December, John held the finger oxygen sensor with a red indicator light to his nose and said, "Rudolph!" His quiet and reserved demeanor belied his inner fun spirit. John enjoyed nature and fresh air, sharing that love with family and friends on annual vacations at Mohonk Mountain House in New York, in travels to Vermont and Maine, visits to botanical gardens, and watching birds and wildlife with BJ on their patio. He was an avid watch and clock collector and member of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors since 1962. John became the family historian, compiling detailed records of the notable Jameson and Phillips families back to the 1700s. Maternal grandfather Philip Lee Phillips was a map historian and founder of what became the Geography and Map division of the Library of Congress where the prestigious Philip Lee Phillips Society is named in his honor. John's paternal grandfather and namesake, J. Franklin Jameson I, was a noted professor of history (University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University), department director of historical research at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, and a founder of the American Historical Association and the National Archives. He was author of The American Revolution Considered as a Social Movement (Princeton University Press), still in print. John was predeceased in 1988 by his first wife, Virginia Blackwell Harmon Jameson, mother of his two children. Survivors include wife Betty Jane "BJ" Shorak; son John F. Jameson III and daughter-in-law Martha "Marti" Tupitza Jameson of West Chester, PA; daughter Ann Harwood Jameson of Vienna, VA; grandchildren Ian Stuart (Aynsley), Zachary Markham (Allarie Sullivan), and Cassidy Rose Jameson; brother Lee Jameson (Bonnie) of Oakland CA; and half-sister Sara Elizabeth Jameson (Greg Wiedle) of Lebanon, Oregon. A Celebration of Life will be held June 22, 2023, at the Atrium, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Vienna, VA, from 2 to 5 p.m. A private burial will be held in the family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown. If so inclined, the family suggests that donations in John's honor and memory may be made to the charity of your choice.