John F. Novatney Jr. ’52

John F. Novatney Jr. ’52, of Hilton Head Island, S.C., formerly of Ohio; Mar. 24. After earning his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, he practiced law at the Cleveland office of Baker & Hostetler for more than 35 years. Late in his professional career, he was general counsel of Central Reserve Life and volunteered as a municipal judge. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of captain and earned a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart, and the Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation. He enjoyed the water, piloting power boats on Lake Erie and around the Great Lakes for most of his life, and was a longtime member of both the Catawba Island Club and the Cleveland Yachting Club. He was a member of Brown’s basketball team and an avid fan of Cleveland professional sports, particularly his beloved Guardians (formerly Indians). He also enjoyed Broadway musicals, especially soundtracks of Rodgers and Hammerstein classics. He is survived by his wife, June; three children and their spouses, including son John III ’84; and seven grandchildren, including
Anna E. Novatney ’24.