John’s sister, Lisa, wrote me that John died peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack and that he had previously been in good health.
John was my best boyhood Bronxville friend. We had so many good times together, playing chess, caddying at Siwanoy, listening to WNEW, talking. I’m grateful to God for our friendship. John went to Choate and Columbia and in his later years was increasingly involved with the Episcopal church. His ashes will be interred at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the New York City.
The last time I saw John was at our 40th BHS reunion in 2010. He lived in the city so at the end of the evening I drove him from Pam’s to the train station. We sat on a bench and talked. We also made a pact: whichever of us got to heaven first would be waiting at the gate for the other one when he got there. I hope he remembers.
God bless you, John, good and faithful servant, wonderful friend. I wrote the following poem for you:
Face in the Sun
The sounds of the city and kids on the beach
were so far behind I heard only the screech
of occasional seagulls wondering why
a man would walk so far out on the pier—
three or four miles I judged.
I turned to see between land and me,
the pier had fallen into the sea,
leaving only the few planks I stood upon.
The pier grew to my front,
planks of fresh lumber painted white.
I stepped with trepidation as
the new pier, too, might also collapse,
but I soon realized, Wow, very solid.
I must have walked for five or six hours
as waves softly bumped the wooden pilings,
until there, where the pier met the sunset sun,
was the smiling face of my old friend, John.
Leslie Basinger (Collins)
Leslie Basinger (Collins)
Pictured above from left to right siblings Philip ("Flip"), Caroline, Lisa and John
Lee Lawson Stockdale
John’s sister, Lisa, wrote me that John died peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack and that he had previously been in good health.
John was my best boyhood Bronxville friend. We had so many good times together, playing chess, caddying at Siwanoy, listening to WNEW, talking. I’m grateful to God for our friendship. John went to Choate and Columbia and in his later years was increasingly involved with the Episcopal church. His ashes will be interred at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in the New York City.
The last time I saw John was at our 40th BHS reunion in 2010. He lived in the city so at the end of the evening I drove him from Pam’s to the train station. We sat on a bench and talked. We also made a pact: whichever of us got to heaven first would be waiting at the gate for the other one when he got there. I hope he remembers.
God bless you, John, good and faithful servant, wonderful friend. I wrote the following poem for you:
Face in the Sun
The sounds of the city and kids on the beach
were so far behind I heard only the screech
of occasional seagulls wondering why
a man would walk so far out on the pier—
three or four miles I judged.
I turned to see between land and me,
the pier had fallen into the sea,
leaving only the few planks I stood upon.
The pier grew to my front,
planks of fresh lumber painted white.
I stepped with trepidation as
the new pier, too, might also collapse,
but I soon realized, Wow, very solid.
I must have walked for five or six hours
as waves softly bumped the wooden pilings,
until there, where the pier met the sunset sun,
was the smiling face of my old friend, John.
Nancy Inman (Becker)
Lee, what a beautiful tribute!
Nancy Inman (Becker)
It is so sad that another one of us is gone. I didn't know John well but I remember him as being a really nice guy.