John Lindsay of East Dummerston, Vermont, passed away on March 23, 2026, at the age of 78.

He was born in Ayer, Massachusetts, to Donald V. Lindsay and Jacqueline Gaynor, and spent his early years in suburban Chicago before attending high school in Wayzata, Minnesota. He graduated from St. Cloud State College with a degree in journalism.

John had a long career dedicated to public media and journalism. He was primarily a documentary producer and executive, working at organizations including WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Oregon Public Broadcasting in Portland, KETC in St. Louis, KCTS in Seattle, and Illinois Public Media. He also taught and mentored students in documentary production at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

He was an executive producer of numerous documentaries and a pioneer in international co-productions, helping bring together partners from around the world to tell meaningful stories on topics ranging from the early rise of Silicon Valley tech to the Watergate coverup to the history of grunge rock in Seattle. Productions under his leadership received more than 60 national and international awards, including three Japan Prize awards, three Peabody Awards, two Columbia-DuPont Awards, the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, and seven national Emmy Awards. He loved storytelling in all forms and had strong opinions about television, from documentaries to reality shows like Survivor.

Early in his adulthood he worked as an aide to Senator Hubert Humphrey, and maintained a lifelong interest in politics and public affairs, working for progressive causes and campaigns throughout his life. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War as a clerk.

John was deeply analytical and endlessly curious, always trying to understand how the world worked. He had a habit of asking questions no one else thought to ask. You could call him from a vacation in a faraway place, and he would want to know the population, the winter temperature, and what the country’s primary industry was. He always wanted the facts to make sense of things.

He was young at heart throughout his life. He loved mini golf, bowling, skiing, water parks, and anything that brought a sense of fun and energy. He also loved playing Mario Kart and Mario Golf with his children. He loved cycling, and was on his bike almost every day. He enjoyed spending time with younger people and was drawn to their energy and perspective. He was a pizza aficionado, maintaining a ranking of his favorite pizza places around the entire world.

He traveled extensively (Macau was a favorite destination) and was proud to say he had flown over two million miles—roughly 80 times around the earth. In his later years, he spent extended time living in Japan with his son, continuing to travel with enthusiasm and ease.

John was entrepreneurial and optimistic, always working on new ideas and projects, particularly in documentary storytelling. He believed in the potential of his ideas and continued developing new projects up until the end of his life.

Most of all, he was a warm and kind person who was generous and loving.

He is survived by his cousin, Joan, children, Robin, Tess, and Christopher, and grandchildren, Toan, Willem, Liora, and Sabine.

A memorial will be held in early May in southern Vermont celebrating John’s life. Please contact Chris at [email protected] for details.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Fenton and Hennessey Funeral Home, 55 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls, VT 05101.