<p><br></p><p>John was a loving, caring father, and friend to all he met. His birth and early days were in the heart of the great depression, but John rose to great heights both personally and in business. He was a graduate of Mt. Carmel High School in Los Angles (1947). The family could not afford the small fee required to attend Mt. Carmel, but that didn’t stop John from pursuing his Catholic education. He would attend classes and stay after school to clean and perform kitchen duties, as partial payment for his attendance fees.</p><p> Although he was unable to attend a formal college with the passing of his mother (at an early age), John self-taught himself skills that would lend positive results for a long and fruitful life. </p><p>Starting as a stock-boy with JC Penny in 1949, he quickly caught the eye of store managers and was promoted to the men’s department as a sales associate. Not long after, he became department, sales, and assistant store manager. A couple of years later, he was managing his very own store for the company. At the height of his career, John was promoted to Regional Sales and Merchandise Manager for all of central United States. He retired in 1985 after 36 years with JC Penny Company. Penny’s was famous for conducting business under the guise of the Golden Rule.</p><p>John always followed the ‘Golden Rule’: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself).” This simple rule he lived by, taught his children, and was how he conducted himself in public and private life.</p><p>John remained active for many years into retirement: working with the Mt. Carmel High alumni and Father Nagle's annual golf tournament & fundraiser, as well as activities related to the Carmelite Order benefiting retired/infirmed priests.  He was a self-taught "handyman" and could fix, repair, and make new again almost anything he set his mind to.</p><p>He remained close with many of his high school friends including Rudy, Ambrose, Jimmy, Wally, Phillip, Joe, and others.  All of these buddies stayed in contact through the years and remained life-long friends: a great testament to their early upbringing, loyalty, and character as men.</p><p>John is survived by his four children: Patricia, Catherine, Margaret, and Michael. He is preceded in death by his wife Marjorie Ann McDermott and son Kevin Robert.</p><p></p>