John R. Calnan, Jr., 83 of Whitman, died Tuesday December 16th the Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital, after a period of failing health. He was the beloved husband of 56 years to the late Marie L. (Elsmore) Calnan .John was born in Brockton, son of the late John R. and Cecile (Hamelin) Calnan. He has been a resident of Whitman since 1949, a member of the Holy Ghost Church, Past Grand Knight of the K of C Whitman # 347 in Whitman and was very active with bingo and the Whitman Food Pantry. In his early years he and his family owned and operated Calnan Engineering, and then he worked for JJ Fuso in Pembroke and Niccolli Brothers in Brockton and retired after 20 years from the Walter E. Fernald School in Waltham as a state employee. He served his country in the United States Navy during WWII from 1943-1946. Before his illness, he loved to build jigsaw puzzles and was a master of mind teaser puzzles as well.
He is survived by his children, John R. Calnan,III and his wife Faye of Foxboro, Dennis F. Calnan of Whitman, Colleen Jacobsen and her husband Richard of Halifax and James M. Calnan of North Carolina; his siblings, Louise Pickett of New York, Rae Marie Weaver of Martha’s Vineyard, Lorraine Clumb of Washington State, William Calnan of Florida and Richard Calnan of Brockton; grandfather of 10 and great-grandfather of 5, several nieces and nephews.
His services will be held Saturday December 20th at 8:15AM from the Blanchard Funeral Chapel Plymouth Street (Rt. 58 at the rotary) Whitman, followed by a funeral mass at 9:00AM in the Holy Ghost Church, Whitman. Interment will be at a later date. Visitation will be on Friday December 19th from 4:00-8:00PM.Donations may be made in his name to the Whitman Food Pantry C/O Holy Ghost Church,518 Washington St. Whitman.