John E. Gingrich - Personal Life

Personal Life

He retired from the Navy on October 1, 1954, as a full admiral, having been automatically advanced one grade on the retired list on the basis of combat citations. One month later, he was elected a vice president of the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (I.T.&T.). In February 1957, as part of a corporate reorganization, he was appointed president of the Federal Telephone and Radio Company, an I.T.&T. division which produced electronic equipment and components for government, military, and commercial use. He eventually returned to the parent corporation, serving as an I.T.&T. vice president until his death. He died at his home in New York City at the age of 63, after a long illness, and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

He married Florence Benson in 1925 and they had one son, John Edward, Jr. He remarried to Vanetta Oliphant on July 3, 1939, and they had one daughter, Susan Alice.

His decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, awarded for commanding the Blockade and Escort Force; the Silver Star, awarded for assisting the damaged aircraft carrier Franklin; two awards of the Legion of Merit for commanding the cruiser Pittsburgh; and decorations from the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Thailand.