FRANCESTOWN — John Sergeant Oppenhimer, a retired U.S. Army Lt. Col., died June 3, 2010, in Wayland, Mass.

A former longtime resident of Francestown, he was born in Richmond, Va., on Nov. 17, 1919. He was married for 51 years to the late Elizabeth Cushman Oppenhimer.

He served as an artillery officer during World War II in the North African and European theaters, from Tripoli to Anzio, then Strasburg. He also served for the duration in Korea, and as a military adviser beginning in 1963 in Thailand. In the interim, he participated in the development and initial testing of the first atomic cannon.

Once retired, he founded John S. Oppenhimer Associates, a technical advertising and public relations firm in Francestown. Along with his wife, Elizabeth, Mr. Oppenhimer was a devoted supporter of the Francestown Historical Society and the Labor Day Parade, of which they were the chairmen for several years.

He is survived by his children, Ellen Harder and her husband, Edward Bloom, of Wayland, Mass.; Elizabeth Hutcheson of Richmond and John Sergeant Oppenhimer Jr. and his wife, Grace, of Westport, Conn. Mr. Oppenhimer was the grandfather of John Hutcheson and his wife, Kim Walker, of Carlisle, Pa., Nicholas Harder and his wife, Amber, of Northampton, Mass.; Ellen Getz and her husband, Geoff, and Daisy Powers and her husband Shaun, all of Wayland, Mass., Catherine Oppenhimer of Brooklyn, N.Y., and John S. Oppenhimer III of Westport, Conn. He was great-grandfather of Grayson, Elizabeth, Ellen, Sarah, Ivan, Sawyer and Campbell. John is also survived by his many nieces and nephews, and his longtime friend Faye Kilpatrick (Mrs. Robert D.) of Richmond.

Funeral services will be private, with full military honors, at Arlington National Cemetery.