John Irwin Loughner Jr

If you met John, you remembered him. If you knew John, you’re wondering how life will be without him.

He was born to John and Maybelle Loughner in the little town of Jeanette, Pennsylvania – a factory and mill town outside of Pittsburgh. Both of his parents are gone now as are his brother Paul T. Loughner and sister, Jil Newsom.

Growing up in Jeanette, John quickly learned two things. Despite becoming an avid reader and life-long learner, he knew early on that school wasn’t for him and neither was walking into a factory or being lowered into a mine. His alternative changed his life.

John joined the United States Marine Corps. He retired 22 years later after seeing much of the world and he hung up his uniform with the stripes of a Master Gunnery Sergeant. But he was ALWAYS a Marine and he was proud that he wore the eagle, globe, and anchor and he showed it for the rest of his life.

After retirement, John went to work for Boatmen’s Bank in St. Louis which then merged with Bank of America and John rose to a Senior Vice-President’s position. To give you an idea of why it was hard to forget John, he was interviewing for his first position at Boatmen’s Bank after all of his time in the military. The interviewer was looking over his resume and noted his lengthy and decorated service. He smiled at John and said, “Marines, eh? I was in the Air Force,” and he smiled. Without missing a beat, John smiled back and said, “Air Force?! That’s great. We always thought of you guys as quick transportation!” He got the job. And the subsequent promotion with Bank of America put him in a position to oversee a network and huge array of ATMs, necessary systems and staff all over the country.

When John finally retired from the constant travel and conference calls, he found his peace and quiet…in the Ozarks. Starting out with a condo in Rockaway Beach, then a house in Forsyth and then building their dream home overlooking Lake Taneycomo, John loved this area, and he was happiest when he was ‘on his hill.’ He enjoyed the beauty of the area - traveling the tri-lakes in his boat, hunting in the thick, beautiful woods in the fall. But he loved the people and he met a lot of them because there weren’t a lot of strangers left after John came through a room – not with a lot of bluster, but with genuine sincerity. And it was a place where John found his Lord. John converted and has faithfully and loving served his Savior since Easter, 2010. A dedicated member of Our Lady of the Ozarks Catholic Church in Forsyth.

John and his wife Nancy have been movers and shakers in the many rummage sales throughout the years, with John driving all over southwest Missouri with a trailer picking up treasures and donations - loading and unloading furniture and boxes well into his 60s and 70s.

At his core, John had a giving heart – a heart as big as the big outdoors he loved so much. Most of the game he took from his hunts, he’d process the meat and gave much of it away to those who needed it or just enjoyed it. If someone had a want or a need that he knew of, he’d try to fix it. There was so much about John’s nature that made his conversion to the Church a wonderful fit. Part of John’s way of saying thank you to his church was to load a mower onto a trailer every week and tend the grounds of the church – showing his faith and character not just with a tithe, but a gift of himself.

John leaves his wife of 30 years, Nancy K Loughner of Forsyth; daughter Kristie Butler of Blairstown, Missouri, son Jim Hayes (Renee) of Murphy, Texas and daughter Katie Plum (Matt) of Lenexa, Kansas, two grandsons and three great-granddaughters.

It’s a bit hard to think of how a man who loved life so much is no longer here. Not terribly long ago, John and a friend were talking about death and passing and grief. They talked about how you don’t just lose someone once. It happens over and over again, sometimes several times in a day. That grief can come up on you with a sound, or a smell and it’s always suddenly and it’s sharp… because grief is not something you get over. It’s something you get through…and keep going through for a long time. It’s unfair. But it’s life.

And on the other side of the coin, they talked about how it is crucial to remember that the depth of your grief, is exactly opposite to the soaring heights of your love. So, remember how John loved life and then remember him by doing something for someone else – carrying someone’s groceries to the car, letting another car have that parking spot, complimenting a stranger on their coat. Giving, for him, was the best gift. Remember him. Keep John’s gift going.

Services will be at Our Lady of the Ozarks Catholic Church, 951 Swan Valley Drive, Forsyth, MO 65653 with visitation at 9:00am, Mass at 10:00am, followed by a meal in Marian Hall. Interment will be Monday, November 3 at Missouri Veterans Cemetery, 5201 S. Southwood Rd., Springfield, MO at 11:00am. The family suggests donations to the church in lieu of flowers.

Final arrangements were made with assistance from Snapp-Bearden Forsyth Chapel. 

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