John Joseph Kane Jr.

John J. Kane Jr. aged 92 of Littleton, Colorado, passed away on 6 September 2024 at the Brookdale Senior Living Community in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

John was born on 7 February 1932 to John and Helen Kane in Jersey City, New Jersey. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on 19 January 1951 and fought in the Korean War, earning two awards of the Purple Heart Medal for wounds sustained as an infantry squad leader in combat. Upon return to the United States and discharge from the Marine Corps in January 1954, John went to work for Western Electric in Kearney, New Jersey. In 1956 he met Marilyn Whitaker at Western Electric where they both worked, and they married in 1958. John and Marilyn went on to raise four children, John III, Patrick, Maureen, and Susan. He studied at night to earn a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Seton Hall University, and also found time to teach English to immigrants at a local Catholic church. In 1974, Western Electric, which later became AT&T Technologies transferred John and family to the Denver area, where they lived together for the next 50 years. While working for AT&T in Colorado, John earned a master’s degree in business management from the University of Northern Colorado and became a member of the adjunct faculty at Regis University, using his professional expertise from AT&T Technologies to teach computer science courses in the evenings.

In 1989, John retired from both AT&T and Regis University to spend time on his hobbies, which included playing handball, weightlifting, reading, gardening, travel, and flying, as well as supporting Marine veterans’ organizations. An avid aviation enthusiast who earned his private pilot’s license in the 1960s, John was a founding member of an AT&T affiliated flying club called the “Bell Ornithopters”. He later earned an Airframe & Powerplant certification in order to serve the club in a maintenance capacity as well. As a private pilot in Colorado, John served in the Civil Air Patrol, flew disabled kids from Children’s Hospital and gave rides to children in support of the Make a Wish Foundation. John also dedicated many hours as a member of the All-Veterans Honor Guard and the Marine Color Guard conducting military honors for deceased veterans at Fort Logan National Cemetery. He did this in all types of weather; despite having sustained cold weather injuries to his hands in Korea, such was his dedication to honoring the service of military veterans.

John was predeceased by his parents, John and Helen, by his two sisters, Kathleen and Elaine, and by many beloved, fellow Marines. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marilyn, his four children, 10 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30am on Monday, September 30th at Horan and McConaty Family Chapel, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd in Lakewood, followed by a 1:30pm military internment ceremony at Ft. Logan National Cemetery. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Children’s Hospital, Honor Flight Network, or Tunnels to Towers, organizations John felt strongly about.