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John Warren Conover

John Warren Conover, age 102, of Clinton, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his family on June 7. John was born on March 29, 1921, in Whitehouse, New Jersey, to John Russell Conover and Jeanette Latourette Conover.

At a young age, John and his brother Pete worked at the Conover Feed & Grain Store as well as the mill that supplied the area farmers. John joined the Naval Reserves in June 1938 at the age of 17 when still a student at Flanders High School in New Jersey.

In April of 1941, he received orders to report to Newport, Rhode Island, for training. His first major assignment put him on the battleship USS Idaho BB42 in Norfolk, Virginia, where he was placed in the Communication Division. The battleship traveled north to Iceland, south to the Panama Canal, west to San Francisco, and north to the Aleutian Islands, Attu Island, and then to the South Pacific.

In January 1944, he was assigned to a cruiser, the USS Louisville, CA-28, working for Admiral Oldendorf’s Staff as Radioman 1st Class. While on board, the cruiser traveled to Kwajalein and Eniwetok Islands, known as the Marshal Islands, and continued to travel to many other islands. The USS Louisville was the flagship in the Cruiser Division, along with the USS Portland and the USS Indianapolis cruisers.

In 1950, during the Korean War, John was assigned to an Aircraft Carrier, the USS Princeton CVA-37, again working in the Communications Division. The carrier traveled to Oakland, California, to receive planes and continued south to Yokosuka, Sasebo, and then to Tokyo, Japan.

In 1952, John was assigned to a Destroyer, the USS Charles P. Cecil DDR8385, and traveled to Madrid in Portugal, Barcelona in Spain, Rome and Naples in Italy, and then onto Greece, returning in 1962, where John then went to work at the Pentagon in Washington, DC in the Communications Division.

One of his longest, most remote operations began in 1964 when he boarded the USS Thomas J. Gary DER326, a Destroyer for “Operation Deep Freeze.” The Destroyer traveled to Antarctica, New Zealand, and Australia, then north along the Mediterranean and into Germany, England, Sweden, and Demark, and finally back to Newport, Rhode Island, in May 1966. After that operation, John retired on Aug. 22, 1966. During his Naval career, John served in three wars, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, traveled to five of the seven continents, traveled through three oceans and multiple seas, passed through the Panama Canal twice, and the Equator several times as he circled the world.

John obtained an FCC License, WA1FRG, that enabled him to be on the airwaves through a program called MARS, the Military Auxiliary Radio System that assisted the military with contingency communications. During this time, John ran telephone patches for the military crews to their families in the evenings and on holidays to help boost morale for personnel who were absent from home for long stretches of time. He communicated with fellow radio operators all over the world for more than 40 years.

John continued his public service locally by becoming a Police Officer for 17 years for the Town of Clinton. He enjoyed working with his community and fellow police officers before retiring in 1983.

John met his future wife, Ann, at Rockefeller Center in 1945 while Ann was selling war bonds. They married in 1946 and, with the help of family and friends, built their home in Clinton. John and Ann raised three children, Bob, Cathy, and Eileen. John and Ann enjoyed their grandchildren, Courtney, Theresa, Chris, and Adam. Family and friends were always welcome to their home anytime. Traditions and family dinners were an event at the Conover’s home filled with fun and laughter. They enjoyed traveling, their pets, and skiing at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire during their 59 years of marriage. John enjoyed golfing, fishing, listening to music, reading, puzzles, watching baseball and racing, and working in his yard with his flowers and tomato plants.

John was an active member of St. Mary Church of the Visitation, a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 6376 in Clinton, and a 4th Degree Assembly in Old Saybrook. John, as a 4th Degree Sir Knight, received the Patriotic Award for his Service in World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.

John also received a Quilt of Valor from the QOV Foundation and was the Harbor News Person of the Week dated December 3, 2015.

John is survived by his son, Robert J. Conover and his wife, Mary of Fresno, California; two daughters, Catherine C. Mullen and her husband, Joseph of Clinton, and Eileen M. Bechtel and her husband, Fredric of Westbrook. In addition, he leaves four grandchildren, Courtney McAllister and her husband, Adam Sarwacinski, Theresa Conover, Christopher Conover, and Adam Conover, and a niece Catherine Ehninger and her husband, Ronald.

John was predeceased by his wife, Ann; his brother Peter Conover; his sister Bea Handell; and his nephew David Conover.

The Conover Family would like to thank Ginger Cashman for her wonderful home care she provided to our Dad, her buddy, over the years, to Dr. Jennifer Swenson, Nurse Lynn Walton, and their staff for all the excellent care given to Dad over the many, many years and to Middlesex Hospice for their recent help as well.

Calling hours for family and friends were held on June 22 at the Swan’s Funeral Home, 80 East Main Street, Clinton. A mass of Christian burial was celebrated on June 23, at St. Mary Church of Visitation, 54 Grove Street, Clinton. Burial followed at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Beach Park Road, Clinton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Mary Church of Visitation, 54 Grove St., Clinton, CT, the Clinton Police Benevolent Association, 170 East Main St., Clinton, CT, or a Veterans Organization of your choice.