John Howland Steinway, the retired chairman of Steinway & Sons piano makers, died yesterday at the Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Mass. The cause of death was not immediately available, but Mr. Steinway, who was 72 years old and had homes in Manhattan and Plymouth, had had cancer surgery several weeks ago.
Mr. Steinway was the great-grandson of Henry E. Steinway, who founded the world-renowned piano company in 1853. He joined the company immediately after graduation from Bard College in 1939, working as an apprentice in the headquarters factory in Long Island City, Queens.
During World War II, he served as an officer and traffic controller in the Air Transport Command and was able to put his piano training to good use while stationed in the Sudan. An old English piano that Nelson Eddy was to use to entertain troops the next day had fallen off a truck. Mr. Steinway found replacement parts and tuned the piano using a borrowed wrench.
After the war, he returned to the company and served as secretary, advertising and production manager and vice president until he succeeded his brother as chairman in 1980. He worked closely with dealers, sales representatives and artists all over the world until he retired in 1983.
Mr. Steinway was an avid actor in his youth, performing several times a year with the Amateur Comedy Club. He was also a former chairman of Bard College.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry Z., of Manhattan and Killington, Vt., and Frederick, of Amherst, Mass.; and two sisters, Elizabeth Chapin of Manhattan and Plymouth, and Lydia Cochrane of Chicago.
Obit courtesy of Miguel Colón, Jr.
Mr. Steinway was the great-grandson of Henry E. Steinway, who founded the world-renowned piano company in 1853. He joined the company immediately after graduation from Bard College in 1939, working as an apprentice in the headquarters factory in Long Island City, Queens.
During World War II, he served as an officer and traffic controller in the Air Transport Command and was able to put his piano training to good use while stationed in the Sudan. An old English piano that Nelson Eddy was to use to entertain troops the next day had fallen off a truck. Mr. Steinway found replacement parts and tuned the piano using a borrowed wrench.
After the war, he returned to the company and served as secretary, advertising and production manager and vice president until he succeeded his brother as chairman in 1980. He worked closely with dealers, sales representatives and artists all over the world until he retired in 1983.
Mr. Steinway was an avid actor in his youth, performing several times a year with the Amateur Comedy Club. He was also a former chairman of Bard College.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry Z., of Manhattan and Killington, Vt., and Frederick, of Amherst, Mass.; and two sisters, Elizabeth Chapin of Manhattan and Plymouth, and Lydia Cochrane of Chicago.
Obit courtesy of Miguel Colón, Jr.
John Howland Steinway, the retired chairman of Steinway & Sons piano makers, died yesterday at the Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Mass. The cause of death was not immediately available, but Mr. Steinway, who was 72 years old and had homes in Manhattan and Plymouth, had had cancer surgery several weeks ago.
Mr. Steinway was the great-grandson of Henry E. Steinway, who founded the world-renowned piano company in 1853. He joined the company immediately after graduation from Bard College in 1939, working as an apprentice in the headquarters factory in Long Island City, Queens.
During World War II, he served as an officer and traffic controller in the Air Transport Command and was able to put his piano training to good use while stationed in the Sudan. An old English piano that Nelson Eddy was to use to entertain troops the next day had fallen off a truck. Mr. Steinway found replacement parts and tuned the piano using a borrowed wrench.
After the war, he returned to the company and served as secretary, advertising and production manager and vice president until he succeeded his brother as chairman in 1980. He worked closely with dealers, sales representatives and artists all over the world until he retired in 1983.
Mr. Steinway was an avid actor in his youth, performing several times a year with the Amateur Comedy Club. He was also a former chairman of Bard College.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry Z., of Manhattan and Killington, Vt., and Frederick, of Amherst, Mass.; and two sisters, Elizabeth Chapin of Manhattan and Plymouth, and Lydia Cochrane of Chicago.
Obit courtesy of Miguel Colón, Jr.
Mr. Steinway was the great-grandson of Henry E. Steinway, who founded the world-renowned piano company in 1853. He joined the company immediately after graduation from Bard College in 1939, working as an apprentice in the headquarters factory in Long Island City, Queens.
During World War II, he served as an officer and traffic controller in the Air Transport Command and was able to put his piano training to good use while stationed in the Sudan. An old English piano that Nelson Eddy was to use to entertain troops the next day had fallen off a truck. Mr. Steinway found replacement parts and tuned the piano using a borrowed wrench.
After the war, he returned to the company and served as secretary, advertising and production manager and vice president until he succeeded his brother as chairman in 1980. He worked closely with dealers, sales representatives and artists all over the world until he retired in 1983.
Mr. Steinway was an avid actor in his youth, performing several times a year with the Amateur Comedy Club. He was also a former chairman of Bard College.
He is survived by two brothers, Henry Z., of Manhattan and Killington, Vt., and Frederick, of Amherst, Mass.; and two sisters, Elizabeth Chapin of Manhattan and Plymouth, and Lydia Cochrane of Chicago.
Obit courtesy of Miguel Colón, Jr.
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