John G. McNamara, 91, died peacefully on Friday, October 30, 2015 in San Francisco, CA, where he had moved earlier this year; for 54 years prior to that he was a resident of Manchester, CT. He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Kathleen, and his son, Brian. John is survived by his children and families: Kathleen (McNamara) Hedtke and her husband, Jim; Kevin McNamara and his wife, Tina Heck; Terence McNamara and his wife, Susan (Butler); Tom McNamara and his wife, Annet Lems; Meg McNamara and her husband, Jeff Clayton; Patricia (McNamara) Philip and her husband, John; and by his daughter-in-law Mary (Parla) McNamara. John is also survived by his brother, Robert. He leaves ten grandchildren and their families: Sean and Matthew Hedtke; Anna McNamara-Heck; Brian L. (and wife Chelsea), Colin (and wife Erin), Conor, and Megan McNamara; and Maeve, Liam, and Fiona Clayton. He also leaves two great-grandsons, Seamus and Wilder McNamara, and 29 nieces and nephews. John was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1923, the fourth of six children born to Irish immigrants, Patrick McNamara and Julia Finucane McNamara. As a school age child, John spent a couple of years living on the family farm in Cork, Ireland, an experience that had a tremendous influence on him for the rest of his life. He knew the hardship of the Great Depression and also lost his mother at an early age; he grew up quickly. He met Kathleen, his lifelong great love and best friend, at the Gaelic Society of New York when they were both 19, and they married five years later. John worked in a shipyard during WWII and studied engineering at night school. John went on to become a professional engineer in the State of Connecticut, and worked for Combustion Engineering of Windsor, CT until his retirement in 1985. During his working years, John made it his priority to provide a stable and loving home for his large family. A highly respected member of the St. Bartholomew Parish in Manchester for 54 years, he sang in the church choir for over 20 years. In retirement, the Church was the main focus of his life, and he was often a daily communicant. He also enjoyed spending time with family and traveling with his lifelong sweetheart, Kathleen. When Kathleen passed away in January, he showed immense resilience in making the move across the country to San Francisco at the age of 91. John was a man of deep faith, strong principles, and sharp intellect. He valued highly his Irish heritage and it's fitting, then, that his family invokes a line from the Irish blessing--"May God hold you in the hollow of His hand." He will be dearly missed. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 5th at 10 a.m. at St. Bartholomew Church, 736 Middle Turnpike, Manchester, followed by interment at St. Bridget Cemetery, Manchester. The John F. Tierney Funeral Home, Manchester has care of the arrangements In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Catholic Relief Services or to the ministries of St. Bartholomew Church. . For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.