While attached to the USS New York in 1942, a young Lieutenant with an ear infection walked into the doctor’s office he thought he was supposed to see, having just learned he could not become a naval pilot due to the fact his naval physical indicated his heart skipped beats. He was a bit dejected but fate intervened and, according to him, “I was dealt the best hand of cards I ever had”.
The nurse/receptionist told him in a sexy, sugary-laced, Texas accent that the doctor he really wanted to see was across the hall. Having laid eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, a “genuine Texas yellow rose”, he asked her what specialty her doctor practiced. She told him orthopedics. As he told his daughter Linda “I had to tell a white lie because my heart was in a tizzy and I wanted this beautiful young woman to go out with me. I told her that, when I was at Harvard in my Freshman year, I played football but I broke my wrist mid-season (true) but it still bothers me (false). Maybe you could help me?” She smiled and told him she thought he was telling a story and attempted to get him out of her office to the ear doctor. Not to be thwarted, he asked her out without even letting her know his name or asking for hers. She laughed which the Lieutenant said “came out like a beautiful song” and told him, “Lieutenant, I do not even know your name and what is that accent of yours? I never heard anyone speak as you do”. They then introduced themselves, he told her he had a Harvard/Boston, Massachusetts accent and again asked her out. She told him she couldn’t that night so he asked for the next night. She relented and said yes and that is how the Lieutenant John V. Quinlan, Jr. met the love of his life, Minerva (Min) L. Krampitz, and married her less than a year later on April 19, 1943 in the Chapel of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, New York. They were married for 60 years until his Texas Rose died in June 2003.
Lieutenant Quinlan served in both the European and Asiatic Theaters, first on the USS New York, and then the USS Fanshaw Bay which was a major player in what many believe to be the biggest naval battle in the Navy’s history, the battle for the Leyte Gulf of the Philippine Islands in October 1944. Mr. Quinlan then rose in rank to be Commander of a Landing Ship Tank (LST 876) which was involved in the assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto in 1945. Mr. Quinlan then performed occupation duty in the Far East and saw service in China until early April 1946. He served as Commander of the LST until the war’s end in 1945. He debated staying in the Navy but, in the end, chose to remain in the Reserves and work for M. B. Foster Electrical, the company his father and college classmate started shortly after they graduated from Harvard in 1907. Mr. Quinlan took his wife, introducing her to almost a foreign country—Massachusetts—but no matter what, she never lost her Southern gentility or genuine warmth for people. “The girl could be taken out of Texas, but Texas was never taken out of the girl.”
Mr. Quinlan was born on July 21, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of the late John V. Quinlan, Sr., and Anna (“Grace”) McGillen. He actually grew up with two siblings, the late Ann Quinlan Curran, his older sister, and his youngest sister, the late Mary Elizabeth (“May”) Quinlan, but there was a larger family that when his mother’s parents died, they took in her five siblings. Thus, he viewed the McGillen family more as older brothers and sisters. His Uncle Johnny (Jake) McGillen marched his godson on his shoulders through the streets of Boston prior to leaving for World War I. Jake met and formed a close relationship to Joyce Kilmer of the “I think I have seen nothing lovelier than a tree” poem. Neither made it home from the war, being buried in Flanders Field with Mr. Kilmer’s grave under a tree and young Johnny laid directly next to him.
Mr. Quinlan graduated from Harvard College in 1939 and received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering as well as picking up several courses in Oceanography, a love of his as well. He continued on at Harvard, earning his Masters in Business Administration in 1941. While at Harvard, he joined the Naval Reserves Office Training Corps.
When he started at M.B. Foster, he was given the title of Treasurer, but in fact was the chief estimator for the large jobs, during the post-war boom in large construction. The company grew and expanded its Congress Street office as well as establishing offices in Manchester, NH, and New Haven, CT. Some of the jobs Mr. Quinlan worked on included re-wiring the Capitol in Washington, DC, the White House, and the inauguration platform (which short-circuited during Robert Frost’s poetic tribute) when fellow Harvard classmate and swim team member, John Fitzgerald Kennedy became President of the United States. He often remarked “I smile when the media make a big deal over Jack’s swimming accomplishments when he was on the second team, I was on the first.” Mr. Quinlan’s love for swimming and competitiveness—he specialized in the 100 meter breast stroke—helped the swim team to many challenging wins. He kept up swimming competitively, joining the Masters (Senior Olympics), and qualified to swim at the World Championships held in Sydney, Australia at the age of 77.
When Mr. Quinlan’s father and partner died within a month of each other in 1965, Mr. Quinlan took the helm of the company growing it from 600 non-union electricians to 1500 unionized electricians, making it one of the largest electrical companies on the East Coast.
Mr. Quinlan was a member of a number of organizations including the Knights of Columbus, Hingham Rotary Club, and as was his father, the Clover Club of Boston and the Harvard Club. He also was a major contributor to the Harvard Alumni Club and was honored, as well as his late father, in 2006 for their contributions. He was also a member of the Officer’s Club at the former Naval Air Force base in Weymouth, MA.
Mr. Quinlan died at home on September 10, 2008, after a short illness. He is pre-deceased in death by his wife Minerva (Krampitz) Quinlan, son John Vincent Quinlan III (“Bobby”) and daughter Maureen Patrician Corcoran (Quinlan), who died on September 9, 2008. He leaves his eldest son, Michael William Quinlan III and his wife Pat of New Hampshire, his daughter Linda Anne Quinlan Gasper and her husband Ronald of Bellingham, MA and his son-in-law Joseph Corcoran of Marshfield. He also leaves eight grandchildren, Ryan Gasper (Renee) of Worcester, MA, Senior Airman Matthew Quinlan currently stationed in Misawa AFB, Japan, Patrick Corcoran of Belmont, MA, Michael Gasper (Jill) of Richmond, VA, Gregory Corcoran of Belmont, MA, Trevor Gasper (Susan) of South Bend, IN, Christopher Corcoran of Charleston, SC, and Tyler John Gasper of Bellingham, MA. In addition, he leaves three great-grandchildren: Cierra, Amethyst, and Leo Gasper. In addition, he leaves three nieces, a nephew, two grandnephews, several cousins, and numerous friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the Life Celebration Service in Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), HINGHAM, Tuesday at 9:15 AM. Funeral Mass in Saint Paul's Church, Hingham at 10 AM.
Visiting hours Monday 4-8 PM.
Burial in Holyhood Cemetery, Brookline.
Donations in memory of Mr. Quinlan may be made to Disabled American Veterans, State House - Room 546, Boston, MA 02133.