Capt. Steven N. Anastasion, USN Ret. | Eastern North Carolina Now

Born: April 09, 1921, Died: December 19, 2013

    Steven Nicholas Anastasion passed away peacefully on the morning of December 19, 2013 in Washington, North Carolina with his loving wife, Charlotte, by his side.

    Capt. Anastasion was born April 9, 1921 in New Haven, Connecticut to Savas and Eleni (Elefteriades) Anastasion, ethnic Greeks who emigrated from Bermada, Turkey. He was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and served with distinction through the Second World War. Retiring from the Navy in 1972, he served the United States government in multiple capacities until joining the International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS); serving as Vice President from 1985 through 1999. He was a longtime resident of McLean, Virginia prior to retiring to Chocowinity, North Carolina.

    Among his achievements in the development of CAETS were assisting in the successful establishment of a number of new national engineering academies around the world, and increasing CAETS membership from the original five founding national academies to 22. During this period he was also a consultant to the Center for Oceans Law and Policy at the University Of Virginia School Of Law, to the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, and to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

    Anastasion was a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy (BS, 1942) the class of 1943 which he entered following graduation from New Haven (CT) High School (1938). He was also a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MSEE, 1948), the Naval War College (1958), and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (1964).

    While in the Navy he served as Technical Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (R&D); Secretary of the Interagency Committee on Oceanography (ICO); Assistant Director, Secretary of the Navy's Office of Program Appraisal; Technical Officer, Task Group 3.1 (Operation Greenhouse-Eniwetok) for which he was responsible for the air-pressure measuring instrumentation for the weapons tests; Technical Officer, Office of Nuclear Energy Applications, Bureau of Ordnance; Director, Nuclear School, Armed Forces Special Weapons Project; and as Commander, Naval Weapons Laboratory, a multi-laboratory institution responsible for the development of surface weapon systems for the U.S. Navy.

    During WWII he served aboard the USS Champlin (DD601) from 1942 to 1945, becoming its Executive Officer in 1944. During this period, Champlin took part in numerous trans-Atlantic convoys, actions, the invasions of Sicily and Southern France, and the Anzio Beachhead operations. In 1949 he was ordered to the USS Coral Sea (CVB 43) as Assistant Gunnery Officer and Special Weapons Officer, remaining until called for service with Task Group 3.1. From 1952-1954 he commanded Destroyer Escort USS Melvin R. Nawman (DE 416), from 1958-1960 Radar Picket Destroyer USS Hawkins (DDR 873), and from 1964-1967 Guided Missile Cruiser USS Leahy (CG-16). In addition to several deployments to the Sixth Fleet with Hawkins and Leahy, he was also aboard Leahy during its service as Flagship for Operation UNITAS VII (1966) exercising with the Navies of South America.

    His Navy decorations include two awards of the Legion of Merit and two awards of the Bronze Star with Combat Insignia (WWII). He was also designated Naval Ordnance Engineer for his work in that field. In 1972, the Fredericksburg Area (Virginia) Chamber of Commerce gave him its Outstanding Community Service Award.

    Upon retirement from active duty in 1972, Anastasion joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as Director, Policy and Plans (Marine Resources) and as Executive Secretary, Interagency Committee on Marine Science and Engineering. In 1976, he was named Director of NOAA's Office of Ocean Engineering.

    In 1980, he was appointed Executive Director of the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA), a statutory advisory committee to the Congress and to the President, and served in that capacity until 1985.

    During 1972-1985, Anastasion was also U.S. Chief Scientist for the U.S.-France Agreement on Cooperation in Oceanography (1974-1985) for which he received the National Order of Merit (Chevalier) from the President of the Republic of France; and U.S. Chairman of the Marine Resources and Engineering Coordinating Committee of the U.S.-Japan Natural Resources Agreement (1975-1980).

    He was a Fellow of the Marine Technology Society and from 1976-1983 a Member of its Executive Committee; Charter Member of the Senior Executive Service of the United States; Member, Advisory Board of the Center for Oceans Law and Policy, University of Virginia (to 12/99); Member, International Advisory Committee of the American Association of Engineering Societies (to 12/99); Honorary Member, Hungarian Academy of Engineering; Honorary Member, National Academy of Engineering of Brazil; Founding Foreign Member, Engineering Academy of the Czech Republic; Foreign Member, Academy of Engineering in Poland; Founding Foreign Member, Slovak Academy of Engineering Sciences, and Corresponding Member, Royal Academy of Engineering of Spain.

    Anastasion was a member of Hiram Lodge No. l (Connecticut) A.F. & A.M.; of the American Legion (McLean Post 270, Virginia); of the Alumni Associations of the US Naval Academy, MIT, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces; of the U.S. Naval War College Foundation; of the American Society of the French Order of Merit; Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, Orange, CT, and of the Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church, Winterville, NC.

    He was a Member of the National Association for the Optimization of Lift over Drag, a Trusty Shellback of the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of the Deep, an Admiral of the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska, and an alumnus of the Kay Kayser Kollege of Musical Knowledge.

    Steven Anastasion is survived by his wife, Charlotte Eleni Kirn-Bauer Anastasion of Chocowinity, North Carolina, his two children from a former marriage, daughter Susan Anastasion Ludlum of Falls Church, Virginia and son Steven Michael Anastasion of Columbia, South Carolina; five grandchildren, five great grandchildren and a brother, George Anastasion of Orange, Connecticut.

    Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Betsy Bailey Nelson Animal Control Facility, 3931 Hwy 264 East, Washington, NC, 27889

    On-line condolences may be directed to the family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.

    Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Anastasion family.