John D. Mccann

Coast Guard Capt. John D. McCann (Ret.), Brooks Estates, Jenkins Twp., died Saturday afternoon at the Wesley Village Nursing Facility. His wife is the former Mary Ruth Davis, and his first wife was the late Mary Catharine Carpenter.

Capt. McCann was born on July 10, 1922, in Malden, Mass., son of the late Lt. Cmdr. John and LilliAnn McCann. He served in the Coast Guard from 1941 to 1973, and after retirement, he served as the dean of administration for Keystone College. During World War II, he served afloat on transports and with the amphibious forces, moving from New Guinea, the Northern Marianas Islands, the Philippines and, finally, into Tokyo Bay. During this time, then-Ensign McCann received little if any help from Gen. MacArthur or Admiral Halsey. During the Korean War, Capt. McCann built and operated a LORAN station northwest of Pusan. He and his men served temporarily with the 17th Bomb Wing. In 2000, he returned to Korea, representing the Coast Guard as a member of the presidential mission for ceremonies in connection with the 50th anniversary of that conflict's commencement.

He served as commanding officer of four vessels. Ashore, he served as executive aide to two successive Coast Guard commandants. He served on the faculty of the Coast Guard Academy, was the chief director of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and was the chief personnel officer at Coast Guard headquarters. He attended City College of New York, and was a graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. He held master's degrees from George Washington University and the National War College.

Also surviving are six children, Catharine McCann, Maine; Dr. Barton McCann, Maryland; Michael McCann, Montana; Coast Guard Cmdr. John McCann (Ret.), Maine; Donald McCann, Guam; and Mary Lee Schofield, Ohio; four stepchildren, the Rev. Susan Davis, New York; Ted Davis, Tunkhannock; Martin Davis, Sciota; and Mary Jo Warring, New York; a brother-in-law, Charles Morris, Colorado; 28 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

He was also preceded in death by a twin brother, Coast Guard Capt. Donald J. McCann, (Ret.); a sister, Edith; and a sister-in-law, Ann.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Church of St. Maria Goretti, 42 Redwood Drive, Laflin. Interment with military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. There will be no public calling hours. Arrangements by the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit.
In lieu of flowers, Captain Jack would like you to do a good deed for someone else. He means it.