Obituary of John Cheston

John Cheston (known to family and friends as “Jon”), 83, of Belfast, passed away suddenly on October 28, 2017. His wife of 32 years, Nancy Caldwell Hauswald, all four of his children, and one granddaughter, Rebecca Twentey, were with him. Jon was born in New Jersey to Albert Daniel Cheston and Anna Drusilla Farrier on December 18, 1933. Starting at age eight, he spent summers with his parents and older sister on Cousins Island in Casco Bay (“before there was a bridge,” he always pointed out) in a small cottage without running water or electricity – but within a little boy’s easy walking distance to the town wharf. It was there that Jon found his lifelong passion for the sea and sailboats. He attended Blair Academy in New Jersey from grades 8 through 12. In 1952, he was awarded the coveted Blair Academy Trophy, given to the graduating senior who excelled in both academics and athletics while a student at Blair. He graduated from Yale University (1956) on a Navy scholarship and subsequently served six years in the U.S. Navy – the first three on destroyers, the last three as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy. There, he taught naval sciences and coached the USNA offshore sailing team, including a memorable, hair-raising stint as skipper of the 1960 Bermuda Race team. In 1962, Jon took a civilian government job with the predecessor to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). His office was in the Old Executive Office Building overlooking the South lawn of the White House, giving him a prime view of “Camelot.” One highlight he loved to recount was watching Jackie Kennedy greet the Shah of Iran. He earned a Master’s degree in Political Science from George Washington University and joined the “War on Poverty” in the Office of Economic Opportunity where he helped create and manage the fledgling Job Corps Program under Sargent Shriver. He retired in 1981 and began pursuing his lifelong dream of teaching sailing and living at sea. For the next 20 years or so, he did just that. He taught offshore cruising courses throughout New England and the Caribbean before meeting and marrying Nancy in 1985 in Annapolis. Together, they lived aboard “Merry Yarn,” their classic wooden Sparkman & Stephens yawl that became their year-round home for six years. They migrated with the seasons between the Bahamas and Maine, did yacht deliveries for the Hinckley Company and private clients, and served as charter captain and chef in the Virgin Islands. Jon and Nancy completed their year-round cruising experiences living aboard their salty motor vessel, “Annie D.,” for two years before deciding to put down roots in their beloved state of Maine in 1994. They chose Belfast to become their home, and were eager to “hook back into a community.” Jon did so with great speed. He directed the sailing program at the Camden Yacht Club for two years (1996-97); served two terms as an elected Belfast City Councilor (1995-2001); was a founding member of the Belfast Senior College and served as its first president (2001-06); was instrumental in trying to establish a Performing Arts Center in downtown Belfast (the struggle continues); served from 1999 to 2017 as a board member of Waldo Community Action Partners (WCAP); and was a member of the Hutchinson Center Advisory Board. Jon’s insightful intelligence, quiet demeanor, impish sense of humor, abiding compassion for those less fortunate, and deep love for his family are hallmarks of his legacy. He is greatly missed by his wife; his four children -- Susy Cheston and her husband Artie Harris of Takoma Park, MD; Jenny Francis and her husband Tom of Annapolis, MD; Sally Twentey and her wife Ann Long of Warrenton, VA; and Dan Cheston and his wife Jilby of Walkersville, MD – 14 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Jon was predeceased by his daughter Amy McMonigle in 2016. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 16, 2017, at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave., in Belfast. And in Jon's honor -- casual dress, please! In lieu of flowers, the family would greatly appreciate contributions in Jon's memory to: Senior College at Belfast, UMaine Hutchinson Center, 80 Belmont Ave., Belfast, ME 04915.