Remembering Judge John C. North In his Own Words

Last Friday brought the sad news that Judge John C. North had passed away at the ripe age of 94

Just a few months ago, I had interviewed the judge to help spread the word about the Bugatti exhibition at the Academy Art Museum. We talked at length that day about the show and his contributions of both cars and knowledge to what has been the AAM’s most successful exhibit to date, which celebrated the famed automobile designer family. But before we began that conversation, the judge was in a reflective mood, and we spent nearly as much time talking about his own life and his love for log canoes.

It was a rare moment with this native son of the Eastern Shore. The only child of a Talbot County lawyer, he earned his law degree at Harvard before returning home to practice and eventually joining the Maryland bench. With his rich vocabulary and formal manners, he carried one back to another era in his telling of his upbringing and love of boats.

That unplanned digression, before the “real” interview, lasted nearly 20 minutes. At the time, I told him I would someday produce another video that included this material, and he was delighted by the idea. That “someday” came sooner than expected. For a man known for his love of precision in language, it feels fitting that he told his story in his own words.

This video is approximately 18 minutes in length.