Brian Acworth, scholarship founder, sailboat builder, real estate developer from Centerport, dies at 97

Building sailboats was Brian Acworth's passion, according to his family, who said he was the first person in the world to design and manufacture sailboats using fiberglass.

"One of the defining characteristics of his life was his resilience," said his son William Acworth, of Silver Springs, Maryland. "He was an independent thinker who chose his own path through life and never let difficulties or challenges discourage him from pursuing his dreams."

The former Centerport resident died of natural causes on Jan. 8 in Manhattan. He was 97.

Brian Bissett Acworth was born on June 18, 1928, in London, England. In 1940, he, his sister and thousands of other children were evacuated from England to the United States during World War II. Acworth attended The Choate School in Connecticut, an experience that would lead him to support education financially.

"He showed up with nothing. The headmaster had him go through the lost and found to get whatever he could for clothing," said Acworth's son Edward "Ted" Acworth, of Hamilton, Massachusetts. "Dad was so thankful for that education later in life that he established a scholarship foundation for kids who need the aid to go to school. It was his way of paying it forward for what was done for him."

Acworth married in the late 1950s and together with his wife raised four children in Cold Spring Harbor. The couple would later divorce.

Acworth's daughter Persis "Perry" Acworth, of Seattle, said her father was "a stoic but very sensitive father."

"Being evacuated during World War II as a child, he didn't grow up with a close family," she said. "He always wanted to have adventures with his children — take them out on sailboats, show them Europe. The most important accomplishment that he achieved in his lifetime was his four children."

"He was very British in his upbringing and was an entrepreneur who worked hard building his business. In those ways, he was a model for his children," Ted Acworth said. "Dad was always trying to do something that would affect the world and have an impact. He was a pioneer more than a conventionalist."

After the war, Brian Acworth returned to England and graduated from Merton College at Oxford University with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics. He returned to New York City and, in the 1950s, Acworth founded Seafarer Yachts, which sold refined yet affordable sailboats.

In the early 1960s, Acworth headquartered the company on the North Shore because of its proximity to Long Island Sound.

"He fell in love with Long Island because it was a natural choice for sailing," William Acworth said.

During the economic challenges of the 1970s, Brian Acworth pivoted from his sailing operation and transitioned into commercial real estate, where he converted his sailing business' factory into a condominium-based office building known as The Huntington Atrium.

Aide Columbia, of West Islip, was Acworth's employee for 27 years and remembers him as having "principles and integrity."

"He was very creative, always coming up with ideas. He was tough, but underneath all of that, he was a softy," Columbia said. "He gave back and was always a big proponent of health care and well-being."

"Brian Acworth was a true visionary who positively impacted the Huntington community for over 60 years," added longtime friend Michael Jannuzzi, of Huntington. "It sounds funny to say it, but even at age 97, he had a spirit that seemed too young to die."

Ever the adventurer, Acworth enjoyed the arts, sailing, skiing and flying his private plane. Still, his family said Acworth would want his legacy to be his commitment to education. In 2006, he founded the Acworth Foundation, which provides scholarships to students to access private schools around the country and some in the United Kingdom. The foundation grants between 20 and 40 scholarships each year.

"He was extremely passionate about education. He always said, ‘Don't let school get in the way of your education’ and that ‘You learn more from the other students than you ever do from the teachers,’ ” Ted Acworth said.

"He would want to be remembered for his desire for everyone to have access to education and remove barriers to education," Perry Acworth added.

In addition to his sons, William and Ted, and daughter Perry, Brian Acworth is survived by daughter Eleanor Acworth, of upstate Millbrook; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service took place on Jan. 22 at A.L. Jacobsen Funeral Home in Huntington Station. Donations were made to the Parkinson’s Foundation and the Acworth Foundation.