Jess Stanbrough

The Institution announces with great sorrow the death of Jesse H. Stanbrough on June 24, 1999 at the Center for Optimum Care, Falmouth.

He was the husband of Dominique (Baes) Stanbrough.

Born and raised in Ruston, LA, Jesse graduated from Mid-Western University in 1946 and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics from the University of Texas at Austin in 1949 and 1950 respectively.

During World War II, he served as communications chief of the second Battalion 131 FA, US Army. His unit was assigned to the Dutch Army in Java and defended against the Japanese. Upon the surrender of the Dutch forces, Jesse’s unit was taken prisoner and sent to Singapore and later to Burma. Jesse was sent aboard the “Hell Ship” to northern Japan.

After graduation from the University of Texas, he was employed by the Defense Research Laboratory in Austin Texas, and in 1955 was one of the five founders of Tracor Inc., a major defense contractor for military aircraft.

In 1960 Jesse joined WHOI as technical advisor to former director Paul Fye. In 1968 he became research specialist in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering department until his retirement in June 1983. Jesse continued his service to the Institution on a casual status until the Fall of 1995.

For 19 years, he was on the board of directors of Benthos Corp., in Falmouth.

Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Gary Stanbrough of Falmouth. Gary works in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department at WHOI.

Services were private.