John Francis Horan of Hazlet passed away Dec. 22, 2023, having lived an extraordinary life of 100 years. John was born Nov. 1, 1923, in Jersey City and raised by his parents, John and Mae née Daly Horan, along with his siblings Bette, Don and Pat. He attended Snyder High School, graduating in January 1942. He had a long career as an information technology systems analyst working for Western Electric, Pathmark, Time Inc. and Church Pension Group from which he retired.
In order to support his mother and siblings following the death of his father, John took a job at Western Electric in Kearny. John was drafted and inducted into the Army in June 1943. Following basic training at Camp Croft, South Carolina, John applied for and was accepted into the elite Aviation Cadet Training program. He learned to fly at Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Carolina, and later was moved to the West Coast Army Air Corps Training Center in Santa Ana, California. However, John’s dream of being an Air Cadet was cut short, as ground troops were needed. In late April 1944, John received orders to report for reassignment to the infantry.
John was assigned to the 70th Infantry Division at Camp Adair, Oregon, and then to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in July 1944. In mid-November 1944, the 70th Division was alerted that they would be moving to Boston for passage overseas. They left Boston Dec. 6, 1944, and arrived in Marseilles, France, Dec. 14, 1944. From Marseilles, John was moved to a position in Philippsbourg, France. On Jan. 3, 1945, during Operation Nordwind, less than one month after his arrival in the region, John, a lead machine gunner, was captured outside Philippsbourg and became a prisoner of war of the German government. He was held captive until May 8, 1945.
Upon his homecoming, John returned to Western Electric, while studying accounting at Seton Hall University on the GI Bill. It was at Western Electric where he met his wife of 58 years, Dorothy née Parry.
John graduated from Seton Hall in 1951 and married Dorothy the same year. They moved to Rutherford where they welcomed their first child, Patricia. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Hazlet and welcomed two more children, John and Mary Ellen.
While John’s time serving his country was a defining period in his life, he would be the first to say that his family is what truly defined him and is his legacy. John had a big personality and was loved equally by his children, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors. He had a tremendous singing voice and was always happy to show it off, whether at a local karaoke night or a wedding. Each of his children, many family members and special friends had the privilege of being serenaded by John at their weddings. Lending his voice in song was just one of the ways John showed his generosity; he always had a gift in hand (from his favorite store, Costco) to give to anyone he might meet. A longtime parishioner at St. Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church, Holmdel, John was also an active member of the St. John Vianney Father’s Club and officiated at his children’s swimming and track meets.
Upon his retirement John joined the 70th Infantry Division Association, reuniting with many old friends. Together they took numerous trips to Europe, even locating the prison camp where John had been held captive. Through it all, John’s kind heart is what shined through. This was most evident in his absolute devotion to his wife Dorothy, caring for her during her decades-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
John was predeceased by his wife Dorothy; his parents John and Mae Horan; his siblings and their spouses, Elizabeth Fenton (Jack), Donald Horan (Grace) and Patricia Fletcher (Howard); his daughter Patricia Horan; and his grandson Michael Tomasello.
He is survived by his children, John F. Horan III (Judy) of Fair Haven; his daughter Mary Ellen Palmiotto (Steve) of Ridgefield, Connecticut; his grandchildren, Jeffrey, Jack, Sean, Liam, Meghan (William), Jessica, Krista, Patrick, Jacquelyn, Julia and Isabella; and his great-granddaughters, Shaylynn, Adrianna and Alexis.
Visitation was held Dec. 29, 2023, at Thompson Memorial Home, Red Bank. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Dec. 30 at Holy Cross Church, Rumson. Burial followed at Fair View Cemetery, Middletown. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
This article originally appeared in the January 11 – 17, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
