Arthur Peter Ismay

Retired Navy captain, veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, businessman and loving husband, father and grandfather died January 13, 2022 at his home in McLean, VA. As a young man, Arthur became an Eagle Scout and excelled in academics - enrolling at Union College in N.Y. and joined the Navy in 1945 as an aviation cadet in the V-5 Program that trained pilots for combat duty. With the end of the war, he accepted an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy's Class of 1951 and raced on the varsity sailing team. After commissioning, Arthur reported to the destroyer U.S.S. Philip and saw combat off the coast of North Korea. As a lieutenant commander, he served the Kennedy Administration as officer in charge of the U.S.S. Sequoia, the president's yacht based at the Washington Navy Yard. It was during that tour that he met Mary Carns, the daughter of Major General E.H.J. Carns and Jeannette Carns of Monterey, CA. Arthur and Mary wed at The Presidio Chapel in November. 1964. Shortly thereafter, Arthur went to Vietnam where he established Boat Squadron One and took command of the Navy's first SWIFT-class fast coastal patrol boats. He retired from the Navy in 1974 and was a recipient of the Bronze Star. Arthur and Mary settled in McLean, VA. where they raised four children, and he worked in international countertrade and offset trading into his late 70s. He loved water sports - especially swimming and sailing - and stayed active throughout his life. Born in Bronxville, NY. on May 2, 1927, Arthur and his older brother Louis were raised in Tuckahoe, NY by their parents, Louis and Julia (neé Keringer) Ismay who immigrated to the United States from Austria-Hungary in the early 1900s. Arthur is survived by Mary, his wife of 57 years, along with his children Peter, Catherine, David and John, and nine grandchildren who all loved their Superdaddy very much. A private Funeral Mass for Arthur was held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown on February 11.

A Funeral Mass for Art will be celebrated Thursday, July 7, 2022 at the Old Post Chapel on Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall. All non-military guests 18 and over will need to to receive clearance to enter the base. Pre-approval is strongly recommended and available at the Automated Installation Entry (AIE) Visitor Website Please Click Here. Guests should enter through the Hatfield Gate and plan on arriving 45 minutes before the time of service (arrive at noon). Burial with military honors will follow in Arlington National Cemetery immediately following the Mass.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to the Sierra Club or the Naval Academy Foundation.