John William Kime, 72; Retired Coast Guard Admiral, Commandant

Retired Adm. John William Kime, 72, former commandant of the Coast Guard who helped develop the government’s response to oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez accident in 1989, died of cancer Sept. 14 at a hospice in Baltimore.

Born in Greensboro, N.C., Kime grew up in Baltimore and was inspired to enter the Coast Guard by a promotional spot that aired during a rain delay at a minor league baseball game in 1952. He graduated from the academy in New London, Conn., second in his class in 1957.

During his 41-year service career, Kime commanded the Coast Guard district in Long Beach, directed operations for the Coast Guard district in Miami and served as captain of the port in Baltimore, among other assignments, according to an obituary released by the Coast Guard.

He was appointed commandant in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush and served for four years, overseeing 38,000 active-duty Coast Guard members and 5,000 civilian personnel. Under his tenure, the Coast Guard refined its role in responding to environmental disasters such as oil spills and aggressively pursued a drug interdiction policy.

“His legacy can be seen today in how the Coast Guard responds to a broad range of threats and hazards to our maritime, homeland and national security interests,” Adm. Thad Allen, the current commandant, said in a statement.