Obituary of John D. Alden

JOHN D. ALDEN- SLINGERLANDS - John Doughty Alden, 92, died peacefully at home in Beverwyck on February 20, 2014. John was born in San Diego, Calif., on October 23, 1921, to the late Harold W. and Elizabeth Doughty Alden. He was a graduate of Beacon (NY) High School, Class of 1938, and Cornell University (AB Chemistry) Class of 1943. He enlisted in the Naval Reserve V-7 program at Cornell shortly after Pearl Harbor and was called to active duty in 1943, receiving his degree in absentia. Commissioned as an Ensign, USNR, he volunteered for submarine duty and after further schooling was ordered to the USS Lamprey (SS 372), on which he made three war patrols in the Southwest Pacific area. In 1946 he transferred to the regular Navy and was sent to M.I.T. for instruction in electronics, graduating in 1949 with a BSEE degree. Following sea duty on the USS Sea Cat (SS 399) and the USS Palau (CVE 122) he was designated as an Engineering Duty Officer. In that capacity he served at the Electronic Supply Office in Great Lakes, IL; with the Supervisor of Shipbuilding office in Groton, CT; at San Francisco Naval Shipyard; then at the Bureau of Ships in Washington, DC; and finally at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME as Quality Assurance Superintendent until retiring from active duty in 1965 with the rank of Commander. His service was always a source of great pride for him and for his family. In civilian life Mr. Alden worked in New York City, where he served for 13 years as Director of Manpower Activities with Engineers Joint Council (now the American Association of Engineering Societies) and then for 8 years with the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology as Accreditation Director. During that time he and his family resided in Pleasantville, NY where he was elected as a Village Trustee for two terms. He also served as an Elder of the Presbyterian Church and as an adult leader with Troop 12 of the Boy Scouts of America for 34 years. He retired from full-time employment in 1986 and moved with his wife to Delmar in 2000 and to Slingerlands in 2013. He was a member of the Delmar Reformed Church and the Second Milers club. John was a man of scholarly character, lively intellect, and wide interests. He had an abiding interest in nature and geography, which he passed along to all of his children. He and his wife were avid travelers and visited all 50 U.S. states and over 60 foreign countries. He was an inveterate reader and carefully maintained collections of several kinds throughout his life. Commander Alden was the author of numerous articles on naval and professional subjects in various journals and of five books published by the U. S. Naval Institute: Flush Decks and Four Pipes, The American Steel Navy, The Fleet Submarine in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Submarine Attacks During World War II, and Salvage Man: Edward Ellsberg and the U. S. Navy. With co-author Craig McDonald he wrote United States and Allied Submarine Successes in the Pacific and Far East during World War II, published by McFarland & Co. in 2010. He was a member of the Society for Military History, the American Society of Naval Engineers, the Naval Submarine League, the U. S. Naval Institute, the Navy League of the U. S., and the Hudson Valley Base of U. S. Submarine Veterans, Inc. He continued his extensive research in World War II submarine operations until a week before his death. John was a man of scholarly character, lively intellect, and wide interests. He had an abiding interest in nature and geography, which he passed along to all of his children. He and his wife were avid travelers and visited all 50 U.S. states and over 60 foreign countries. He was an inveterate reader and carefully maintained collections of several kinds throughout his life. John is survived by his wife of 69 years, the former Ann Buchholz of Claverack, N.Y.; six children: Carol A. Fincham (Bruce) of Mariposa, Calif.; John R. Alden (Beth Gilford) of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Eric M. Alden (Debby Kroenlein) of Wheatland, Wyo.; Andrew L. Alden (Fleur Helsingor) of Oakland, Calif.; Stephen B. Alden (Carol Vredenburgh) of Lyme, N.H.; and Lawrence J. Alden (Penny Downes) of Altamont; eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a grandson, John R. Alden of Wheatland, Wyo. His family would like to express its deepest thanks to Dr. Robert Quimby and the dedicated staff of St. Peter’s Hospital, as well as Community Hospice of Albany, for all of their help during John’s final illness. A Memorial Service will take place at Delmar Reformed Church, 386 Delaware Ave., on March 13 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Simple Choices, Inc. of Albany, NY.