John Paul McKenna, 57, of Ocean Township, passed away March 29, 2021. He was born in Red Bank to the late Dr. Edward J. McKenna and Rita Spence.
While a student at Red Bank Catholic High School, John was known as an accomplished athlete. After high school, John earned a bachelor’s degree from the Villanova School of Business in 1985. After graduating from Villanova, John then earned a degree in paralegal studies. He started his career as a defense contractor for the United States federal government. He was also most recently working toward a master’s degree from Purdue University.
John was a member of St. James Roman Catholic Church. He was a generous man, volunteering for over 10 years at Riverview Medical Center in the admissions department. He loved to spend time reading books, history being among his favorite subjects. John was a food enthusiast, a great golfer and had an enormous amount of love for his family and friends.
John was predeceased by his parents and his sister-in-law Christine McKenna. He is survived by his loving brothers and sisters, Kathy Olsen (Bernard), Nancy Connolly (Jack), Edward J. McKenna Jr., Marion Lugones (Santiago), William F. McKenna, Richard G. McKenna (Kim), and Mary Sutphin. John had a special place in his heart for his 20 beloved nieces and nephews and his 22 cherished grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 18 at St. James Roman Catholic Church, followed by a burial of cremated remains at Fairview Cemetery in Middletown.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s memory to the Children’s Specialized Hospital Foundation, 150 New Providence Road, Mountainside, NJ 07092.
Please visit John’s memorial website at johnedayfuneralhome.com.
The article originally appeared in the April 8 – 14, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
