John Humphrey, born June 24, 1916, died quietly of natural causes at his home in Mills River, on October 12, 2020. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth and a daughter, Carol. He is survived by five children, John, Stephen, David, Janet and Susan, and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
John was born in New Jersey and graduated from what is now The New Jersey Institute of Technology, with a degree in Chemical Engineering. During World War II, he served with the Navy in the Pacific theater, from 1942 to 1945.
John, Ruth and their family moved several times, as his career required a number of relocations. In the mid-60’s, their last move brought them to western North Carolina, where they settled on a 180 acre property near what is now Mills River.
After retirement, John’s lifelong interest in conservation grew and he became increasingly involved in land conservation activities. He put his property into a Conservation Easement in 1996, as the first property conserved by the newly formed, Hendersonville-based land conservation organization named Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy … now known as Conserving Carolina.
John remained active with the land conservancy until his death, serving several terms on the Board of Directors and multiple terms as Board President.
Due to the present health concerns around COVID-19, services will not be held at this time. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that any donations in his honor be directed to the land conservancy that was of such great importance to him, at conservingcarolina.org. (828-697-5777).