John Frederick Lemon, 86, of Brunswick, Remembered for Adventurous Spirit and Dedication to Helping Others

John Frederick Lemon, a Belfast-born sailor, self-taught navigator, and longtime mental health counselor who spent his final years in Brunswick, Maine, died at his home on Aug. 20, 2026. He was 86.

Lemon's life carried him across oceans, through two distinct careers, and into the lives of countless individuals affected by Parkinson's disease. His wife, Constance Kniffin, was at his side when he passed.

Born on Jan. 21, 1940, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lemon was the first child of Frederick A. and Jane T. Lemon. His earliest years unfolded against the backdrop of World War II. In 1946, his parents relocated the family to New York City in search of greater opportunity. They became naturalized American citizens together in 1953. Lemon grew up in the Bronx, where a childhood paper route nurtured what became a lifelong passion for reading.

He became the first in his family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree from Centre College in Kentucky before going on to receive his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Returning to New York to launch his career, Lemon taught himself to sail from a book — a fitting beginning for a man who would later chart ambitious courses by sea. He purchased an 18-foot sailboat and, alone, navigated more than 100 miles from City Island to the eastern tip of Long Island.

The early chapters of his professional life were spent at Irving Trust Company, where long hours and extensive international travel eventually pushed him toward a different path. He and his first wife, Holly, moved to Maine with their two children, Fred and Emily, where Lemon struck out on his own as an entrepreneur.

In his mid-50s, Lemon made yet another pivot, this time into the helping professions. He earned a master's degree in social work from Boston College and went on to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It was during this period that he met Kniffin, with whom he shared years marked by laughter, travel, sailing, dancing, and close family time.

The call of the sea continued well into his later years. In his early 70s, with his family's encouragement, Lemon purchased his final sailboat, Reverie II, and sailed her from Maine down to Florida along the Intracoastal Waterway.

After receiving his own Parkinson's diagnosis, Lemon drew on his training and experience as a clinical social worker to lead a Parkinson's support group in Brunswick, offering guidance and companionship to others navigating the disease.

Those who knew him remember a man with a characteristic twinkle in his eye and a deep appreciation for the world around him. He adored his family, his wife's baking, poetry, music, and the salt sea.

Lemon is survived by his wife, Constance Kniffin; his sister, Dorothy, of Largo, Fla.; his children, Fred and Emily; his grandchildren, Taylor, Joseph, and Kate Lemon and Sabrina Stix; his stepchildren, Spencer Keith and Catharine LaPuma; and his step-grandchildren, Badger and Bear Keith, and Alexander, Caroline, Sophia, and Grace LaPuma.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Parkinson's Foundation, National Public Radio, and the National Endowment for the Arts.