Gerald "Jerry" Covell Kinne, 93, of Charlottesville died Dec. 30

Gerald Covell Kinne, 93, of Charlottesville made his final journey on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Lucy Marshall Duke Kinne; his parents, Birge Warner Kinne and Margarett Covell Kinne; and his two siblings, Birge Warner Kinne Jr. and Mary Ann Kinne Isdale.

He is survived by his two children, Lucy Kinne Wallace (husband Reginald Fitz Wallace) of Lexington and Thomas Covell Kinne (partner Pamela DeeAnn Quirin), as well as two grandchildren, Morgan and Andrew Kinne, all of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews. 

Born in White Plains, N.Y., on Jan. 13, 1930, Jerry attended Blair Academy, and graduated from Cornell University in 1951, where he was active in Greek Life (Delta Phi) and U.S. Army ROTC.  He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and served during the Korean War as a nuclear weapons officer.

He subsequently joined Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, Long Island, N.Y., where he worked as a mechanical engineer on the team that built the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR).  He remained at Brookhaven his entire career, retiring as director of that reactor division in 1992. 

He was a loving husband, father and grandfather.  He was very active his entire life in his community: teaching basic seamanship — and celestial navigation — while a member at the Old Field Power Squadron (Setauket, N.Y.); volunteering and teaching clock repair classes at the Spinney Clock Museum (Port Jefferson, N.Y.); serving as usher and vestry member of Caroline Church (Setauket, N.Y.).  He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. 

He was very active with family and friends for years. He completed the Cross-Island Marathon on Long Island, N.Y.  He also jogged 1,976 miles in the bicentennial year of the United States with a best friend from Brookhaven.   During retirement, Jerry and Lucy spent many happy winters (and summers) on their beloved sailboat, Kestyll, in the British Virgin Islands.  They frequently included many family members, neighbors and friends, not only on multiple boats, but in their world travel.  

His favorite outdoor sounds were many:  the horsepower hum of a well-tuned two-stroke, gas or diesel engine; the whir of a trolling reel when a blue fish struck; the laughter while water skiing (or at least trying to) behind a 25 horse power Johnson outboard; the swish of snow or grinding of ice while skiing on any location - mountain or flat - in winter; the creak of the rigging as any one of his beloved sailboats leaped to life with a brisk wind; the surging sounds of surf and waves on any beach or body of water, on any type of vessel, on any shore in any weather. 

His favorite indoor sounds were the steady ticking of his clocks (there were over 50 in the house), as well as the glorious bells, gongs or musical chimes every 15 minutes.  There was also the steady hum and grinding of the various woodworking equipment to repair, reconstruct or make clock cases, tables, chairs, doll/dog houses, as well as entire shop of machinery and tools to repair/restore all those clocks, engines, fishing gear, skis, small kitchen appliances, boats, and cars in or around his home.

Final arrangements will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cornell University, Development Department: Birge Warner Kinne Scholarship, 130 E. Seneca St., Suite 400, Ithaca, NY 14850.