Arthur Joseph St John

Arthur Joseph St John was born on January 17, 1932, in Worcester, Massachusetts, first son to Abraham and Naomi Letiecq St John. The family relocated to Spencer, MA, after Art finished elementary school

Art graduated from David Prouty High School in 1950 and was a runner for the cross county team. Art attended the US Coast Guard Academy where he also ran cross country. Art continued to run recreationally into his 60s. He graduated third in his class in 1954. During his time at the Academy, he met and fell in love with his future wife, Gretchen Steffke, who was attending the Connecticut College for Women. Gretchen and Art were married in 1957. They spent their yearlong “honeymoon” on Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands where Art commanded a LORAN station for the US Coast Guard. After completing his military service, Art earned an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Art and Gretchen then moved their growing family to St. Croix, USVI, where Art was employed by a European watch manufacturer. The family then relocated to Vancouver, Washington, where Art worked for Jantzen swimwear. Then the family moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, where Art managed his father-in-law’s concrete factory.

With a desire to begin their own business Art and Gretchen settled their family in North Palm Beach, Florida. Art became a partner in a lawnmower sales and repair shop. After trying his hand as a building contractor and realtor, Art became a certified real estate appraiser and owned his own business for many years. Art and Gretchen were active members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church where they formed many life-long friendships. They discovered a love of hiking which led to their completing a Coast to Coast walk across England from St. Bee’s to Robin Hood Bay with dear friends from church.

After raising their family, Art and Gretchen retired in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where they realized their dream of restoring an old home. They purchased the Bennett farmhouse and spent over a year on the renovation doing a significant amount of the work themselves. The home became a show place for the collection of American antique furniture they gathered over the years. Art and Gretchen were active members of the Church of the Holy Family. Art served the community through Rotary International (East Chapel Hill) as he had in Florida. Art and Gretchen also spent time traveling the world.

Art went home to be with the Lord on December 23, 2025, at the age of 93. His wife of 56 years Gretchen passed away in 2013 a few days before her 79th birthday. Art is also predeceased by his parents, his sister Elaine Lamoreux, and sister Diane Cyr all of Spencer. Art was survived by his brother Pierre St. John of Spencer until Pierre’s passing a month after Art’s. Also cherishing his memory are Art’s three children Lisa and her husband Michael Williams, Todd St. John and his wife Jacqueline, Scott St. John and his wife Margery along with three grandchildren Robbie, Oliver, and Andrew.

Memorial gifts may be made to Friends of the Turks and Caicos National Museum, 39 Condesa Rd., Santa Fe, NM, 87508, Attn: Dr. Toni Carrell or http://tcmuseum.org/. The museum is housed in the home Art and Gretchen lived in while they were on Grand Turk.