John William Bateman, 95, of Mathews, Virginia passed away on April 24, 2015. John was a native of Baltimore, Maryland, graduating from Johns Hopkins University in 1941 where he also started flying and obtained both his private and commercial licenses. He served in the Pacific theatre during World War II flying PBY’s for the Navy and met and married his wife of 70 years, Patricia Albers in California.
John continued his aviation career with Pan Am from 1946 until his retirement, as a 747 Captain in 1979. His career was interrupted to return to active duty during the Korean conflict and also to fly the Pan Am Cinerama Charter for several months with Lowell Thomas to make the movie, “Seven Wonders of the World”.
He also enjoyed his lifelong hobby of building, from his home in New York to furniture and musical instruments. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and their three children, as well as 5 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.