John Robeson Boardman

John Robeson Boardman, 82, of Madison, Miss., died in his sleep on Feb. 11, 2014. He was born on April 29, 1931, in Marietta, Ga., to William Kilbourne Boardman, Jr. and Mary Clark Robeson Boardman.

John was a 1955 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He was on active duty for four years and was subsequently in the Naval Research Reserve for fourteen years.

In 1957 John married the former Martha Richards Robeson of Newport News, Va. Upon leaving active duty with the Navy in 1959, John was employed by Litton Systems’ Ingalls Shipbuilding Division in Pascagoula, Miss., until 1980 when Ingalls ended its twenty-five years of construction, overhaul and refueling of nuclear-powered attack submarines. From 1980 to 1990, he was a reactor inspector with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in Region IV, Arlington, Tex. John served at NRC headquarters in Bethesda, Md., from 1990 until his retirement in December 2001.

In 1990 John and Martha moved to Shepherdstown, where they were active in Trinity Episcopal Church.

John was preceded in death by Martha, his beloved wife of 49 years; his parents; and one brother, William K. Boardman III. He is survived by his four children: Martha Leach of Erie, Colorado; Mary Friedeman of Jackson, Miss.; Ruth Boardman-Alexander of Waco, Tex.; and John Boardman of Austin, Tex. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 in the chapel at Wells Funeral Home, Waynesville, N.C., with burial following in Green Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a favorite charity.