Captain John W. Doswell, a former Clearwater board member and longtime champion of the New York waterfront, died Friday, January 2, after an illness.
Doswell was the founder of the Friends of Hudson River Park and was involved in the effort that established the Hudson River Park Trust. Just last month, the Trust named Clearwater as one of three lead participants in development of the long-planned “Estuarium” to be built on Pier 26 at the base of Houston Street in Manhattan. Clarkson University and its Beacon Institute will oversee construction and operation of the Estuarium, along with Clearwater and the New York Hall of Science.
In an obituary appearing in the OldSaltBlog by maritime writer Rick Spilman, Doswell was described like this: “John was a pioneer in multimedia presentations. He was a writer, designer, producer and programmer. He was also a Navy veteran who served in Vietnam, as well as an experienced sailor. He was a loving father and husband. He will probably be best remembered, however, for his impact on the waterfront community.”
On Monday, Clearwater Board President Anne Todd Osborn saluted Doswell as “a valued board member of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.”
“We mourn his passing as we celebrate his life,” Osborn said.
Doswell also served on the board of the North River Historic Ship Society and Save Our Ships NY, and was a founding board member of the Governors Island Alliance. He also was the executive director of the Working Harbor Committee, which sponsors the Hidden Harbor Tours, educating people about the working harbor of New York and New Jersey.
Last summer he was married to his life-partner Jean Preece. She and their daughter Jhoneen Preece-Doswell are hosting three days of ‘Reflection Gatherings’ on Tuesday-Thursday, January 6th-8th, from 2:00-9:00 PM each day. Friends are invited to stop by and share memories and stories at Doswell Productions, 455 West 43rd St, NY, NY.
