John Wolcott

Dr. John Heren Wolcott, 85, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his children, on Sunday, September 1, 2024 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

John was born in Washington, DC to Leon Oliver (Lee) and Margaret McCullough Wolcott. John and his older sister Gail had only a few short years with their mother before she succumbed to cancer when he was less than two years old. Lee remarried in 1941 to Marion Post Wolcott, and within a few years John was big brother to two half-siblings, Michael and Linda.

Growing up on a farm in Virginia, John learned the value of hard work, independence, and integrity.

He loved to tell stories of his time on the tractor and the life lessons he learned. He and his younger sister Linda often blew the fluff off the dandelions at each other.

After high school, John began his studies at Reed College before transferring to The American University of Beirut in Lebanon where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. He relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he received his PhD in Physics from the University of New Mexico.

John interviewed with Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) upon graduation. During his interview, he mentioned his work with a very specialized scientific computer language. The interviewer's ears and eyes perked up, and John believes that one sentence made the difference in him receiving an offer. That offer defined the beginning trajectory of his journey through life.

John, his first wife, Carolyn and toddler, Anne moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico where he began his lengthy and successful career as a literal "rocket scientist" for the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL). His son, Theodore (Ted), would join the family the next year. His early work at LASL (later renamed Los Alamos National Laboratory, or LANL) included experiments of all sorts on land and in specialized AEC airplanes across the globe. The planes were fondly referred to as flying laboratories. He would experience rare lifetime events like seeing the aurora borealis from high altitudes in a plane and flying in the path of a total solar eclipse. Co-workers describe John as always calm and collected despite the excitement.

While in Los Alamos, John remarried to Jann Arrington in 1973. His family expanded to include Jann's children - Jeffrey, David and Janna. He devoted his time, love, passion and attention to Jann from that point on. They celebrated 50 years of marriage only one month before her death in June,

2023. We are certain that they will be together again, dancing in the light.

In his later career, John focused on the disarmament of nuclear weapons around the globe. He was a worldwide renowned expert on the subject. John was instrumental in the negotiations of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty and the initial draft of the On-Site Inspection Operational Manual. His work in this area took him to Washington, DC and Vienna, Austria.

After 31 years of dedicated service, he retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2001.

In his retirement years, John and Jann faced immense tragedies including the untimely deaths of both Jann's sons David Szalay in 2006 and Jeffrey Szalay in 2022. Heartache and loss took them to live in Las Vegas & Colorado, but they were always drawn back to Santa Fe where they both lived out their remaining years in this life.

John was a true scientist through and through. Logical and intelligent about everything he studied.

Always concerned about the state of the world and the health and future of planet Earth. We are hopeful that the worries and concerns he carried with him daily will no longer be a burden while he rests at peace.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Jann Arrington-Wolcott, his parents Margaret McCollough & Leon Oliver Wolcott, his step-mother, Marion Post Wolcott, his step-sons David Szalay and Jeffrey Szalay.

He is survived by his children Anne Wolcott King (James) of Oak Point, TX, Theodore (Ted) Wolcott of Tahoe City, CA, and Janna Szalay Dame (Rob) of Albuquerque, NM; his grandchildren William King, Aaron King, Margaret King, Makenna Wolcott, Kyle Wolcott, Addison Wolcott, Christopher Keene, Savanna Bunnell, Michael Bunnell, Kayla Szalay, Krista Szalay and Kyle Szalay; his sister Gail Wolcott Johnston, and his half-siblings Michael Wolcott & Linda Wolcott-Moore.

Memorial arrangements are pending and will be announced at a later date.