- Date Of Birth: August 3, 1932
- Date Of Death: February 1, 2021
- State: New Jersey
John Joseph (Jack) Nolan, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away at the age of 88 on February 1, 2021, at Community Medical Center in Toms River, NJ.
Jack was born on August 3, 1932, in Brooklyn, NY, to Sylvester and Helen (nee Connors) Nolan. A 1950 graduate of La Salle Academy on the Lower East Side, he played forward for the Cardinals basketball team. In 1954 he received a BBA from City College of New York. Having participated in the CCNY ROTC program, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Army and served in Korea for 17 months immediately following the armistice.
Before his deployment, he was joined in marriage to Kathleen Connor, his neighborhood sweetheart, on September 4, 1954. Together they embarked on a loving journey raising six children in Queens, Commack, and Huntington, NY.
After his discharge from the Army, Jack had a successful career in sales and management in the printing industry in New York City. He retired to Whiting, NJ in 1996 where he was known to the children of the Lacey school district as Mr. Pennyfeather, the affable WC Fields fan who transported them safely to and from school.
Jack had a deep and quiet faith. He and Kathy were devoted parish volunteers, both on Long Island and NJ, Jack having attained Fourth Degree with the Knights of Columbus. Named Irishman of the year by The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Jack served as Division past-president in the Toms River chapter.
Jack happily shared his passion for music, gardening, classic films, and sports with his family and friends. Through the early Commodore recordings and the 1950s jam sessions at Jimmy Ryan’s he became a lifelong fan of Dixieland jazz, and especially the horn playing of Bix Beiderbecke, Bunny Berigan, and Wild Bill Davidson. Jack found an outlet for his creativity and skill with visual composition as a Master Gardener and in his pursuit of painting in acrylics and original stained glass designs. A lifelong NY Yankees and Football Giants fan, he coached youth football and volunteered with Scouting to the delight of his young sons. He will be remembered for his constant good humor, quick smile, and his kind and compassionate friendliness.
In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by his son John in 2011, daughter-in-law Laura in 2020; brothers Joseph (2016) and Gerard (2021). He is survived by Kathy, his wife of 66 years; five children: Patrick, Maryanne, Timothy (Ann), Christopher (Suzanne), Daniel (Meg), and by his sister Eileen Nolan of Queens, NY. He adored his 18 grandchildren: Quinn, Kerry, Katie (Casey), Vanessa (Vince), Mary Kate (Mike), Christopher, Thomas, Meghan, James, Terence (Francesca), Sarah, Emma, Andrew, Peter, Frances, Lily, Luke, and Caroline. His five great-grandchildren: Catherine, Grace Elizabeth, Remy, Brinley, and Layla, were the apples of his eyes.
