John Herman Livens

John H. Livens, of West Palm Beach, FL and Needham, MA, formerly of Riga, Latvia; Lakes Region, NH and Beacon Hill, Boston, died unexpectedly on December 6, 2025 at the age of 92, while surrounded by his family.

Born in Riga, Latvia, in 1933, John lived a life that spanned continents, wars, reinvention, and remarkable personal achievement. His early years were spent on his family’s estate in Biksti, where he enjoyed a spirited childhood before the Second World War uprooted his life. At the age of seven, his family lost everything during the Soviet and German occupations. They fled Latvia, lived as refugees across Germany, and eventually immigrated to the United States—an experience he recounted in his autobiography, An Unexpected Journey, which he wrote later in life.

John embraced America with deep gratitude and unshakable optimism. He graduated from Framingham High School and went on to earn two degrees from Harvard University—first from Harvard College and later from the Harvard Business School. Between his academic pursuits, he proudly served in the United States Navy as a naval officer, stationed in Pensacola, Brunswick, and aboard the USS Intrepid. His service remained one of his life’s defining honors.

John built a successful finance career in Boston, as a partner at State Street Research and founding his own investment management firm, Winchester Capital Management. He later lived for many years on Beacon Hill, where he developed lifelong friendships and took joy in the intellectual and social rhythms of the neighborhood.

Throughout his life, John carried the values shaped by his childhood: resilience, curiosity, integrity, and the belief that character is a person’s most enduring possession. He loved history, classical music, good conversation, sports including skiing, tennis, and swimming, and traveling—particularly his later visits back to Latvia, where he reconnected with the home he had lost as a child.

Above all, family was the constant center of John’s life. He was devoted to them, proud of them, and deeply grateful for the love that surrounded him.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Cush; his children, Elizabeth Ann Livens and her husband, Kevin Freeman, of Needham, MA, and Jay Livens and his wife, Amy Livens, of Carlisle, MA; and his stepchildren Jay Jarrett and his wife, Marnie Jarrett, of Georgetown, SC, Beth Wilkinson and her husband, Jib Wilkinson, of Dover, MA, and Robin Clark and her husband, Ted Clark, of Needham, MA.

He is also survived by his cherished grandchildren—Edward, Thomas, William, Brooks, Mason, Lilly, Marshall, William and Peter—each of whom brought him tremendous joy.

John’s life was, as he wrote, proof that while we cannot control our circumstances, we can choose our actions, our outlook, and the way we meet the challenges before us. His story, marked by perseverance, gratitude, and hope, continues to inspire all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held at 2pm on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Bethesda By The Sea in Palm Beach, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in John’s honor to Bethesda by the Sea; https://www.bbts.org/donate or to the Mass General Brigham Healthcare Transformation Lab in support of Dr. Eric Isselbacher; giving.massgeneral.org