John Christian Nissen Jr., 90, veteran

John Christian Nissen Jr., 90, of Moorestown, a former salesman for the DuPont Co. and a decorated Navy pilot, died Jan. 12 at Virtua Memorial in Mount Holly.

In 1942, Mr. Nissen cut short his college education at New York University to fight in World War II.

"At that point, it was part of his character and the character of this country," said his son, Leif M. Nissen.

Mr. Nissen flew several missions in the Pacific from 1943 to 1945, earning several commendations, including an Air Medal for evading enemy gunfire.

Though Mr. Nissen often kept his military experiences to himself, his son said, his grandchildren persuaded him to tell war stories, and Mr. Nissen enjoyed fascinating them with tales and photos.

He piloted a seaplane that would fly low and slow to get a good view of the enemies' air and sea positions. During a mission on July 4, 1945, a Japanese Zero attacked. In one swift move, Mr. Nissen's slow-moving plane evaded the faster Japanese fighter, which consequently crashed into the ocean.

"He was incredibly proud of what he did, but he was very humble," his son said.

Mr. Nissen was born in Haskell, N.J., and graduated from Butler, N.J., High School in the late 1930s. He married Alma M. Kluft while on leave. Last Monday would have been their 65th wedding anniversary.

After his military service, Mr. Nissen worked for more than 40 years at DuPont. He began in Newark, Del., but in 1953 was promoted to salesman in the Philadelphia and Princeton offices, leading him and his family to move to Moorestown.

"When they hired him, they asked him if he played golf, and he knew if he said no, he wouldn't have the job," said longtime friend Alex McGugan, a retired pro at Moorestown Field Club.

Mr. Nissen subsequently spent many workdays doing business on golf courses. He sold dyes and pigments for commercial use.

McGugan said most people had known Mr. Nissen for his sense of humor.

"He had a heart of gold," McGugan said. "He just liked people. He liked to banter back and forth."

Mr. Nissen retired from DuPont in 1982. He remained active in golf and other activities at the Moorestown Field Club until 2001, when he had a stroke.

He always found time to be with family, his son said. "He put family above all else."

In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Nissen is survived by sons John C. III and Eric; five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

A celebration of Mr. Nissen's life will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Moorestown Field Club, 629 Chester Ave.