Jack Francis Witten, 92, of Great Mills, MD died September 3, 2010, at St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, MD after a short illness.

Born March 25, 1918, in Highland Park, IL, he was the second of three children of the late Harvey Witten and Frances Green. In 1943, he married Vera Kennedy McCreadie, who preceded him in death in 1965. In 1969, he married Millicent Wilson, who preceded him in death in 2004.

He is survived by two children, Robert Witten of Chevy Chase, MD and Barbara Witten Bradley of Annapolis, MD; four grandchildren, Eric Bradley, Ashley Shaklee, Cameron Witten and Evan Witten; and three great-grandchildren, Emma Bradley, Jake Bradley and Vera Shaklee. He is also survived by a sister, Grace Brown of Neenah, WI., and a brother, James Witten of Huntingtown, MD.

Mr. Witten will be remembered as a conservationist who loved the natural beauty of Southern Maryland and a naval aviation buff who could recall details of every aircraft he ever worked on. He was also a music lover who enjoyed playing the organ and a longtime, long-suffering Redskins fan. He was a faithful parishioner at St. George Roman Catholic Church.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1938 and flew anti-German submarine patrols off the coast of Brazil. After World War II, he joined the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, DC, where he served on the change board and was active in the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences and the Society of Automotive Engineers. In 1970, Mr. Witten transferred to Patuxent River Naval Air Station to direct the logistics center; he retired in 1975.

Mr. Witten was an avid sailor who logged 50,000 nautical miles along the U.S. East Coast and to and from the Bahamas. He served as president of the Potomac River Association and helped successfully lead the fight against a refinery at Piney Point in 1974. He was a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission and ran unsuccessfully for St. Mary's County Commissioner in 1978. He received numerous awards for his service from St. Mary's County and the State of Maryland. He was always proud that his birthday, March 25, was also Maryland Day.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, September 18, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at St. George Roman Catholic Church, 19199 St. George's Church Road, Valley Lee, MD 20692. The Rev. Msgr. Karl Chimiak will officiate. Interment will be Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be, Eric Bradley, Cameron Witten, Evan Witten, Michael Witten, Roy Dyson and Joseph Spelz.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. George Roman Catholic Church, P.O. Box 9, Valley Lee, MD 20692.

Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.