John Keelty (1927 – 2014) A global Naval Architect and self-made gentleman John Keelty, who has died aged 87, was a Scotsman and a Naval Architect. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, he founded the marine consultancy, Keel Marine Ltd, in 1962 and led it with considerable success for over 26 years until he retired in 1988. He was attracted to the consultancy aspect of the marine industry because of the global range of technical challenges in shipbuilding, design and engineering that it opened up, along with the opportunity to deal directly with people and organisations all over the world. By the time he retired, Keel Marine Ltd. had a client list that spanned the globe. The relationship with many of these clients was more than professional - it was also personal. Indeed, some of these relationships still thrive today. Born in 1927 in Glasgow, son of James, a Tramway Car Conductor and part-time Organ Builder, John gained his education at Allan Glen’s school, to which both he and his brother, Jim, won scholarships. Allan Glen’s, founded in 1853, developed from a school providing a “good practical education for the sons of tradesmen” to being the principal science school in Scotland and was often referred to as “The High School of Science”. After being evacuated with Jim to the country in the early years of the war, John went to work at John Brown and Co. Ltd. Shipyard, Glasgow, in 1942 as a drawing office apprentice, becoming a Ships Draftsman there in 1947. He then financed himself through a Naval Architecture degree course at Royal Technical College, Glasgow (now Strathclyde University), gaining a 1st Class Honours Degree in 1952 before undertaking postgraduate studies and research in ship structures at King’s College, Newcastle (then part of Durham University). In 1955, he left the UK for a while, joining National Bulk Carriers in New York as a Technical Assistant where he was to meet his lifelong friend, Radovan Katic. It was here, also, that he first became known as “Giovanni”, a name that he retained among familiars for the rest of his life. He returned to Hampshire in 1958 and entered the world of Marine Consultancy, taking a post as Naval Architect with Burness, Corlett and Partners in Basingstoke. It was here that he met his long term friend and future business partner, Marine Engineer John Weston. Together, they set off in 1962 to start up their own Marine Consultancy, Keel Marine Ltd., based in the central London. With an increasing workload, and encouraged by fast-improving communications, the company re-located in 1972 to the village of Bentley, Hampshire, where “the two Johns” began to build a close-knit team which was to inspire and foster the next generation of Naval Architects and designers. This was a golden period for Keel Marine, with the office located in Kings Close, a small country estate. For out-of-hours entertainment for the staff, the facilities included a croquet lawn, a swimming pool and a huge fishing pond teeming with carp. This was sometimes also used as a ship model testing tank. John Keelty's working philosophy was always that "it is perfectly possible to do business as a professional and a gentlemen, and to have fun doing it", a maxim that Keel Marine still follows today. He died on 31st December 2014 after a long illness and is survived by his second wife, Lesley. His first wife, Betty, died in 1980. There was a celebration of his life and achievements at Basingstoke Crematorium on January 27th 2015, attended by family, friends and colleagues. There was some stirring highland music provided by a piper and many personal spoken tributes to this calm and loving self-made professional gentleman.