John Meadows Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

John F. Meadows passed away peacefully in Berkeley, California on October 27, 2019. He was born in Manila, Philippines in 1926 and came to California by a Swedish tween deck cargo ship shortly before the outbreak of WW 2. John’s family settled into Berkeley and he later graduated from CAL Undergraduate in 1948 followed by Bolt Hall School of Law in 1951. He met Karen Morris from Sierra Madre California in Hawaii on their frequent travels to post war Tokyo Japan and they were married 1962. John is survived by Karen, son Ian Meadows, daughter Marie Meadows and Grandchildren Erin Meadows, Evan Meadows and Serena Meadows-Graves. After many years as a fluent Japanese speaking Army Intelligence Officer John enjoyed his full career as a Maritime Attorney for both the U.S. Department of Justice and later in his own private practices on both coasts. John’s listing of legal cases is more than impressive they are precedent setting in what is still a highly challenging and technical navigational field of Admiralty Law. In retirement John set out to share his legal highlights in a his soon to be published book, “Memoirs of a Maritime Lawyer”, which include the following, -Pacific Far East Line HAWAII BEAR collision with tanker ESSO SEATTLE at the entrance of Apra Guam Micronesia -Army Corps of Engineers WILLIAN E ROSSELL collision with Norwegian freighter THORSAHALL at entrance of Coos Bay Oregon -USN Essex class aircraft carrier USS KEARSARGE collision with P&O passenger vessel ORIANA off Long Beach California -Total loss of States Marine Line BADGER STATE and ammunition cargo northwest of Midway Island -Receivership of Micronesia Interocean Line at Saipan Micronesia -USNS ASTERION collision with KOKOKU MARU off San Francisco California -Pacific Far East Line PRESIDENT GRANT collision with Wester Pacific Fisheries MARTIN HIGGINS off of San Francisco California -Chevron cargo claim against Keystone Tanker PURETO RICAN that exploded and partial sank off of San Francisco California -Loss of Tony Lazio owned fishing vessel JACK JR to Keystone Tanker GOLDEN GATE off San Francisco California -Commodore Dining Cruises JACK LONDON COMMODORE man overboard loss of life at San Francisco Bay -Collision of Chevron tankers OREGON STANDARD and ARIZONA STANDARD under the Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco California -Regal Stone/Hanjin container ship COSCO BUSAN collision with D Tower of the Oakland Bay Bridge under pilotage of SFBP Captain John Cota San Francisco California John’s family will be celebrating his life at a Funeral Mass at St. Augustine Church, 400 Alcatraz Avenue, Oakland, California at 11:00 AM Saturday November 30th with a memorial gathering at the Meadows Berkeley residence shortly thereafter. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to John’s favorite charity, the Maritime Museum of San Francisco @ https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/maritime

John Meadows

March 7, 1926 - October 27, 2019