Obituary of John Degnan

John Hugh "Jack" Degnan, former City of Lockport Chief Building Inspector, watercolorist, city police officer and World War II veteran of the Navy Air Corps, passed away on Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Son of the late John Lewis and Irene C. Degnan, John was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Lockport. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1940 and was sent to Hawaii right after Pearl Harbor in 1941. He served in the Navy as a radioman, air traffic controller and gunner, surviving three plane crashes. After the war, John joined the Lockport City Police Department as a patrolman, until 1951 when he joined Retail Credit Company, now known as Equifax, as an Insurance Investigator. He worked in both the Lockport and Niagara Falls office until 1968 when he joined the City Building Inspection Department in Old City Hall. As Chief Building Inspector, John rewrote the City Zoning Ordinance and started the archiving of city records. In 1989 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Downtown Lockport Business Association. As John approached retirement in 1983, he enjoyed both golfing and watercolor painting, joining both the Niagara Arts Guild and the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society, serving for a time as President. He was also a member of the Kenan Center, where he hung artwork for sixteen years. A member of the Industrial Golf League at the Niagara Orleans Golf Course in Middleport, John served as President for several years in the mid-1960's. He was also a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. John is survived by his loving wife and retired nurse from Lockport Memorial Hospital, the former Marie K. Guenther. They were married at Blessed Sacrament Church on April 15, 1951 and enjoyed married life for 61 years and their six children, thirteen grandchildren and six great grand children. His two brothers survive him, Robert (late Laura) Degnan of Lockport and Ralph (late Helen) of Temucula, California. He is also survived by his children Michael (Sarah) of Buffalo, Coleen (Ron) of Hastings, England, Jeffery (Cynthia), Peter (Tracy), Krista (late Daniel) McDonald, all of Lockport and Daniel (Josephine) of Kenmore, and his grandchildren Michael, Devin, Chantal, Jason, Leslie, Patrick, Timothy, Jessica, Sheena, Elise, Emily, Nicole and Matthew. Greatgrandfather of Ava, Chase, Vincent, Benjamin, Megan and Aliah. Relatives and friends are invited to a Memorial Mass will be celebrated Friday at 2 PM in All Saints Parish, 76 Church St., Lockport. Donations may be made to the Lockport Public Library or All Saints Parish. Visit www.pruddenandkandt.com. <h3>Visitation</h3> No prior visitation. <h3>Services</h3> Relatives and friends are invited to a Memorial Mass will be celebrated Friday at 2 PM in All Saints Parish, 76 Church St., Lockport.