John Sinclair Noyes , 88, died in Burlington on Aug. 26, 2007, surrounded by his family. John was born in St. Johnsbury to Alvin C. and Harriet Fowler Noyes on June 4, 1919, and graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1937. He graduated from Harvard University in 1941, with a degree in foreign languages. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He later earned a master's degree in French at Middlebury College. With the advent of peacetime, John embarked on a long and happy career teaching French at The Taft School in Watertown, Conn. He is remembered by many generations of Taft students for his dynamic teaching style and was recognized by both new and experienced teachers at Taft for his expertise and leadership within his department and the school. He was very proud of compliments he received during his travels in France for his mastery of the language. On June 16, 1961, John married Carol Banks Carroll, widow of a fellow Taft language instructor, Livingston "Pat" Carroll. She had five young children whom John raised as his own. John retired from The Taft School in 1985. During their retirement, John and Carol divided their time among their homes in Watertown, on Cape Cod, and on Joe's Pond in West Danville. After Carol's death in 2001, John eventually moved to The Converse Home in Burlington, where he lived for nearly two years. In his final months he was at The Burlington Health and Rehabilitation Center. Staff at both facilities cared for him with much love and patience. John was a fit, active person who rode his bicycle daily into his early 80s. He enjoyed swimming and sailing and loved classical music. He was a voracious reader, especially of biographies and history. In manner, he was reserved and kindly. John is survived by his five children and their spouses: Livingston Carroll and his wife, Donna Bryant, of Sherborn, Mass.; Patricia Carroll-French of Groton, Conn.; Barbara Carroll of Burlington; Deborah O'Connor of Biddeford, Maine; and Leslie Crawford and her husband, Geoffrey Crawford, of Burlington. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and his nephew and his wife, Robert and Julie Noyes of Wheelock. He was predeceased by his wife, Carol Banks Carroll Noyes, and by his granddaughter, Corinne Sinclair Crawford.