Posted on 10/15/2019
Captain John Maye Quarterman Jr., passed peacefully at his home in Waverly, Ga., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2019, surrounded by family.
A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, in the chapel of Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home with the Rev. Jim Crandall officiating.
Capt. Quarterman was born in Brunswick on June 5, 1939, to his loving parents John Maye Quarterman Sr. and Lettie Kinsey Quarterman. John graduated from Glynn Academy in 1957 and was named to the 1956 Georgia All-State football team. He then received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where he played in the Orange and Sugar bowls with Heisman Trophy winner Joe Bellino. John also played on two National Championship Lacrosse teams at the Naval Academy in 1960 and 1961. Upon graduation, John's orders took him to Pensacola, Fla., where he received his wings as a naval aviator in test pilot school. Among his 31 career valor medals were the Silver Star, Bronze star, and Distinguished Flying Cross, which he received from President Nixon during the Vietnam conflict. Capt. Quarterman flew 768 combat missions in 18 months in the Vietnam War as a Sea Wolf pilot in support of the Navy Seals.
Capt. Quarterman was then named to the Apollo pick-up crew, where he retrieved the capsule for Apollo 15 in 1971 and the actual astronauts on Apollo 17 in 1972. John was commanding officer of helicopter squadrons HS-3 and HM-12, and was commanding officer of aircraft carrier USS Guam, where he commanded the invasion of Grenada and the extraction of U.S. Marines from Beirut. His carrier was home base to the Christmas of 1983 USO show, where John started his lifelong friendship with Bob and Dolores Hope. John then went to Washington, D.C., and received his master's degree in public administration. Capt. Quarterman became commanding officer of Naval Air Station Pax River in 1988, before his final deployment to the Pentagon as Chief of Naval Readiness. John retired in 1990 and returned to his beloved home and family in Glynn County. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, James Quarterman.
Survivors include his wife, Sandy Phillips of Waverly; four children, Lee Ann Allen (Ford) of Hilton Head, S.C., Jack Quarterman of Mooresville, N.C., Elizabeth Henderson (Neal) of Brunswick, Ga., and Carrie Wayne of Brunswick; six grandchildren, Chelsea Allen, Patrick O'Brien, Shelby Allen, Case Allen, Hannah Wayne and Haley Wayne; one brother, Harry Quarterman of Brunswick; three sisters, Ione Parsons of Hiawassee, Ga., Margaret Mills of Brunswick and Harriet Miller of Brunswick; and many nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516, https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.
Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home, www.edomillerandsons.com, is in charge of the arrangements.
Published in The Brunswick News on Oct. 15, 2019