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John McAuley Ware was born in Hollow Rock, Tennessee, on May 22, 1943. As a young teen, his family moved to the Brookmont neighborhood near Bethesda, Maryland, where he developed many lifelong friendships. After high school graduation, he spent several years working for the Army Map Service near Washington, DC. Later, after training as a field service engineer, he serviced and repaired computer equipment and electromechanical systems for Recognition Equipment Incorporated (REI). Highly in demand, John was sent where he was needed. He and his wife, Regina, were first relocated to Dallas, Texas, then to Venice Beach, California, and eventually to just outside of Denver, Colorado. John loved Colorado, where he spent many happy years enjoying the mountains. They were transferred a final time to the Tampa, Florida area in 1976. The following year they moved to 303 Palm Bluff in Clearwater, where he had ready access to the ocean. He and Regina parted ways in 1979, and a week after the divorce was finalized, he adopted his beloved Molly (a small black dog) from the Clearwater SPCA. Over the years, he also purchased and rented out several properties, including the two directly east on Palm Bluff. An avid sailor, John (known by many as “Captain John”) owned several vessels throughout his life, but his most prized was probably his Cape Dory sloop, on which he sailed to Mexico (twice), the Dry Tortugas, and other far-flung destinations. Sometimes he sailed alone, and sometimes with good friends. As a musician, John could play several instruments, including the guitar and mandolin, but was especially proficient with the banjo and the fiddle. He regularly played with small and informal music groups but also occasionally played with more organized groups, such as the Bay Area Fiddle Association. He especially loved the genre called Old Time music and enjoyed impromptu jam sessions on his front porch overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. In 1999 he met Geneva, whom he married on April 10, 2001. The very next day, they began a 6-month cross-country adventure in a Rialta RV. They first traveled west on the southern part of the US, exploring Texas, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon, and then traveled north through California and Washington. The next year they purchased their river house in Dunnellon, where they enjoyed watching alligators from their pontoon boat. Around 2015, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. With medication and care, he was able to live happily for many more years. He passed on May 23, 2022, the morning after his 79th birthday. John enjoyed traveling, telling stories, and playing music with friends. He enjoyed making people laugh and was a master of pranks. (You may recall his set of coffee mugs with fake roaches in the inside.) He taught his wife how to play guitar, his Godson how to sail, his Goddaughter how to juggle, and many others how to play music. He will be remembered as an adventurer, a jokester, a musician, a sailor, and a caring and kind husband, Godfather, friend, and neighbor. John's long-time Fred Knight (B-CC '62) remembers John: My dear ol' buddy John Ware finally lost his battle with that awful Parkinson's disease... pretty much on his birthday. John and I grew up together in Brookmont, Maryland near Bethesda, just outside of DC, shared all life's experiences, triumphs, heartaches, wives, girlfriends, family... including a memorable Vespa motor scooter trip to Mexico City, almost to Acapulco, Mexico and back from DC, which helped turn our parents hair gray. John was a graduate of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, class of ‘61 We shared the love of music. John was an accomplished musician/fiddler. His email address on AOL was, Jfiddler... He's the one who introduced me to one of my favorite picking groups, the Soggy Bottom Bluegrass Bunch. We get together the first weekend of every month, picking, singing, camping out and just having a good ol' time. Been doing that for decades now, thanks to John. He shared his big old house on Palm Bluff St. in Clearwater with me and my entire family when we moved to Florida and were looking for a house. Fortunately he had a spare bedroom for me when I got kicked out of that same house by my lovely esposa. We both enjoyed successful careers in the computer industry and real estate investing. He picked up a bad case of Parkinson's a while back so his demise was not all that unexpected but still, it hurts, bad. The following memory is from John’s “Goddaughter”, Danielle KS: Today we said goodbye to my Godfather, Capt. John the morning after his 79th birthday. While not actually MY Godfather or a Captain, he will always be both to me. He was my brother’s Godfather, but I adopted him as my own. He always lived on the water and had boats, so my Dad, his friend since childhood, coined him “Captain John” and we’ve never called him anything else. Captain John loved music and could always be counted on to break out his fiddle and stomp out the beat with his braced foot - a relic of his bout with Polio as a child. His laugh was contagious and I hope it stays locked in my memories forever. He taught us to juggle and loved a good prank. He and Dad would even send the same card back and forth to each other every holiday just scratching out the previous notes. He was also my dad’s best and oldest friend. He was like a brother to him and an uncle to us. The two of them loved to share stories of Brookmont where they grew up. Now Dad is the last of the Brookmont gang left. His wonderful wife, Geneva, had been by his side for over 20 years and was his absolute perfect match. The two were inseparable and were the epitome of true partners. For all that knew him, you know the world was better and likely we are all better for having known him. RIP Captain John. You were so loved.
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