John Demarest Van Wagoner

He was raised on a tobacco farm in Upper Marlboro Maryland, moving to Northern Virginia with his family as a teen. From that humble start, he eventually became a leader in construction and manufacturing industries for over 45 years.

He was one of two founders of the Prospect group of commercial roofing and waterproofing companies. Through Prospect, he introduced several innovations to the roofing and waterproofing markets in the U.S. Prospect worked on many notable buildings in the Washington metropolitan area, such as the National Gallery of Art, East Wing, the National Geographic Society and the John F. Kennedy Center.

He also co-founded Insulated Building Systems (IBS), a manufacturer of expanded polystyrene insulation. IBS was a market leader in the Mid-Atlantic with a number of products based on polystyrene. IBS manufactured the structural insulated panels used in the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Headquarters building in Annapolis, Maryland, which received the first Platinum LEEDS rating issued by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Another of his companies, GeoTech Systems Corporation, produced the first below-grade prefabricated drainage system for foundation and retaining walls in the U.S.

Mr. Van Wagoner published numerous technical papers, gave scores of technical presentations, and had been issued six U.S. patents and one Canadian patent relating to improvements in his fields of endeavor.

He had also been a member of the following industry-related associations and had assumed an active role in all of them:

• The American Society for Testing Materials

• The National Roofing Contractors Association

• The Washington Building Congress

• Construction Specifications Institute

His ascension from his beginnings as the son of a tobacco farmer to a national industry leader reflected his energetic and friendly character. Throughout his life, he always embraced opportunities to strive for improvement in not only his businesses but also his community.

He was a dynamic leader and he served as volunteer in a number of organizations:

• A man of deep faith, he was drawn to the majesty of the Washington National Cathedral, where he served on the Cathedral Foundation Chapter; had been Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, and served on numerous other committees. During his tenure the National Cathedral became the largest Gothic Cathedral in the world to become fully air conditioned. He was also instrumental in the construction of an underground field house and underground parking garage on the cathedral grounds.

• As lover of the arts and a member St. John’s Episcopal Church, Georgetown Parish for over 50 years, he served as Senior Warden, Vestry Member, and Chairman of many committees. He and his wife donated a choir room when the church was under reconstruction in 1996 and then in 2012, he and his family donated a Casavant Frères pipe organ to the church, similar to the one installed at the Kennedy Center at the same time.

• A life long Episcopalian, he served The Episcopal Diocese of Washington as a member of the Standing Committee and as an Alternate Deputy to the 1976 General Convention.

• A patriot and believer in the American Dream, he served as the Treasurer for the Washington Area Refugee Committee in the 1970s during which time he and his wife became a foster family to two Cambodian refugees.

• Proud of his Dutch heritage, he served as a Director of the Netherlands-American Amity Trust and as President of the Potomac Branch of the Holland Society of New York.

• One of Christ’s followers in the truest sense of the word, he served on the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, Fairfax County.

• He was a member of the Order of St. John and was knighted a Knight of Grace by Queen Elizabeth. The order is a humanitarian charity that furthers the cause of peace in the Middle East, a cause to which he was extremely devoted.

He touched countless lives through his friendship and generosity and will be missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held on September 22, 2:00 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown: 3240 O St. NW, Washington, DC 20007. Parking is limited, so carpooling and ridesharing services are encouraged.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to St. John's Episcopal Church, Georgetown [https://stjohnsgeorgetown.org] or the Washington National Cathedral [https://cathedral.org/].