John Arthur Nesbitt
NESBITT, BOWEN, GUTIERREZ, THORNTON
Posted By: Karrie Craig (email)
Date: 7/19/2019 at 11:00:06
John Arthur Nesbitt Sr., 86, of Iowa City, died Monday, May 20, 2019 at Oaknoll Retirement Residence surrounded by family.
Memorial services will be held at 2:30 pm on Friday, June 14 at Oaknoll Retirement Residence (The Spring Street Building, 835 George St. 5th Floor, Heiden Community Room).
John was born on March 29, 1933, in Detroit, Michigan, son of John and Anna Maye (Bowen) Nesbitt. John is a graduate of Howe Military School, Michigan State University and the Teachers’ College at Columbia University in New York. He started his teaching career at Lehman College in New York. John then served as Associate Professor and Director of Interdisciplinary Studies at San Jose State University. John went on to serve the majority of his teaching career at the University of Iowa as Professor and Chair of the Recreation Education and Therapy Program.
Over the years, John provided professional services, research, technical assistance and training to 100 nations and on-site services in 45 nations, including serving as a Recreation Specialist at the Rusk Institute Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University.
John served his country with the United States Air Force, obtaining the rank of Major. He was on active duty for 2 years assigned to ATC and SAC. Following his active service, he was on active and inactive reserve for almost twenty years.
Johns has served as the President of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society, the National Consortium on PE and Recreation for Handicapped Children/Youth, Chair for the Recreation Subcommittee, the U.S. President’s Committee Employ. Disabled; and, Member, U.S. Secretary Education, National Advisory Committee PE and Recreation for Handicapped Children/Youth.
John loved researching and writing: archives, professional articles and papers on recreation for disABLED International Inc. Being very proud of his Scottish heritage, John founded the Nesbitt/Nisbet Society of North America in 1981, which has grown into a world-wide organization to assist families with genealogical research.
John is survived by his two children, John Nesbitt Jr. of Minneapolis, MN, and Victoria Gutierrez of Madison, Wisconsin; his grandchildren, Caleb, Lillian, and Julian; his sister, Julie Nesbitt Thornton (Kirk); nephew, Sean and niece, Chloe of California.
John was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert Athos Nesbitt.
Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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