McDermott, John J.

Lieutenant Colonel John J. McDermott, better known as “Jack,” 84, died on May 2, 2023 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by three of his five children. The love of his life, Barbara Jean McDermott, preceded him in death on May 1, 1981.

Jack was born in Brooklyn, New York on Oct. 28, 1938 to Mary Margaret and John Thomas McDermott and developed a special bond with his only sibling, his little sister Marilyn (Mickey). He also formed lifelong relationships in the neighborhood where he grew up, Jackson Heights, Queens, and in the beloved Jesuit educational institutions from which he graduated: Xavier High School (NYC) and College of the Holy Cross (Mass).

The grandson of Irish immigrants, Jack worked in a NY opera house, loved the Yankees, and, in college, ran track and joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), beginning a proud career as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He met Barbara Preiss in 1961 in Okinawa and they were married the following year.

Amidst a short stint in Cuba and multiple deployments to Vietnam, they had three daughters and mourned the death of a newborn son. After multiple miscarriages, they were graced with a son and another daughter before grief again transformed the family when cancer took Barbara’s life.

Throughout his esteemed military career, he was honored with many medals and promotions that recognized his commitment to excellence. He earned a master's degree in Human Resources Management at Pepperdine University and went on to a second career leading a large groundbreaking waste management enterprise, Escondido Disposal Inc. (EDI).

Southern California (Vista) was home for much of Jack’s life, a climate the New Yorker was happy to adopt. It was there he supported his five children in their varied and rich endeavors that spanned most sports, drill team, speech competitions, student government, many jobs and challenges. He was a devoted (and boisterous) regular at VHS football games long after his children had graduated. “McDaddy” was able to commute and manage career opportunities so that he could maintain an active family home that served as a gathering place for multiple generations of adopted daughters and sons. As his health declined, Daddy Jack moved to Georgia in 2019 to be cared for and enjoy time with his children there.

An avid runner, Jack moved through the world with confidence and sought out joy and connection, evidenced by anyone who had the pleasure to see him dance, or to join him on the floor. He loved music, especially “oldies” and shared it with family and friends. In 2002, the first of three grandchildren transformed him into Grandpoppy Jack. His youngest grandson, born in 2016, became his namesake, “Little Jack.”