John was born on May 4, 1947, in Dallas, TX to parents John Curtis Clary, Jr and Dorothy Heath Clary. He was raised in Oak Cliff, graduating from W. H. Adamson in 1965. He married Cynthia (Cindy) Elsberg in 1971. John graduated from Texas A & M University with Bachelors in Marine Biology in 1976 and a Masters in Biology in 1983.
John served 3 years of active duty with USMC (Vietnam) 1967-1969, and 28 years active duty with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps, including two sea assignments as Commanding Officer (CO) of NOAA Ships Chapman and Miller Freeman, and a final shore assignment as CO of the Pacific Marine Center. He retired from NOAA Corps in 2006, at which time he assumed the civilian position of Logistics Officer at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center until his final retirement on July 31, 2016.
John is survived by his loving wife, Cindy; his daughter and son-in-law Meredith and Richard Weller, daughter Morgan Clary; his grandchildren Teaghan and Tristen Weller; and his siblings James Clary, David Clary, Dana Sullivan, and Mary Ann Clary.
