John O. Chesley Jr., of Scituate, January 27 at age 88. Born in Pittsburgh on Feb. 1, 1922 he attended The Arnold School, graduating in 1939. He entered Carnegie Institute of Technology and graduated in 1943 with a BS in Civil Engineering. He immediately entered the military service as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, later transferring to the Army Air Forces for pilot training and was assigned to crew training as copilot in B24s. His crew was assigned to the China Burma India Theater where they participated in 50 combat missions including supply flights over The Hump. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, The Air Medal with one cluster, two battle ribbons and the Presidential Unit Citation. Following war service Jack entered Harvard University earning a Master in Architecture in 1949. In 1959 he joined his classmate and friend, Richard Morehouse forming the partnership of Morehouse and Chesley Architects. They produced designs and supervised the construction of many projects including Concord Academy, Simons Rock College, Waterville Valley Ski Area, and the Scituate Town Library. After moving to Scituate in 1955 he served on the Scituate Beautification Committee, and the town Planning Board. In 1979 he retired from private practice to join the faculty at Wentworth Institute in Boston retiring as Professor of Architecture in 1987. In retirement Jack remained busy playing trombone in the Satuit Band and in the Olde Kids on the Block swing band. He is survived by his beloved wife Miriam of more than 50 years, loving father of David and his wife Molly of Duxbury, and Victoria Brega and her husband David of Scituate. Also survived by two granddaughters, Katie Chesley and Lydia Chesley. A celebration of Jacks life will be held on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. with a service at 11 a.m. at McNamara Sparrell Funeral Home,10 Summer Street, Cohasset, MA. Donations in his memory may be made to SSYMCA, 75 Mill St., Hanover, MA 02339.


Published in The Patriot Ledger on January 31, 2011