John Milton McGlone

"I can dig it".

These were words that would come from Jack often. This could be in reference to music, a story about school drama when talking with his grandchildren or how he would like to complete his journey from this mortal coil. It normally came with laughter, sometimes a serious tone, but more often, he would raise his glass or cigar to it, and say, "Man, I can dig it." He once told a story about how he would always wrap his kids' Christmas gifts with Hannukah paper, since it was less expensive... so from that day on, every gift from his oldest grandkids at Christmas was wrapped in his own special Hannukah paper. Every Christmas he acted so surprised that he would get this special paper.

John M. McGlone, more famously known as Jack, was born on March 28, 1960. He was the oldest of John and Carole's children and grew up in Collingswood, NJ. He attended Haddon Twp High School. He was on the cross-country team and graduated in 1978. From there, he heard the call of the sea and took a new course in his life. Jack served our country in the Coast Guard from 1978 until 1982, transferring to the Reserves for a few years after his Honorable Discharge. When he came home, he went back to work at ACME, where he started when he was 16 and retired from after 48 years.

Jack met Patty in October 2001 and had their first date at Pufferbelly's. They began building a life together, slowly blending their families through holiday events and summer cookouts. They would spend their days doing the things you do when you have adult money and adult time - going to the shore, hitting the casinos, the beaches, going crabbing. They eventually married December 17, 2016 at a small ceremony at their home in Gibbsboro.

If you were lucky, during one of those shore excursions, you would get to have your barbecue judged by them. Jack was a certified KCBS judge and took that role seriously. He would get to meet all sorts of folks, taste delicious food, and bring back sauces, rubs, and smoking items to try at home. The man loved to be at the grill, even in the bad weather.

He was a member of the American Legion 65 starting in 2005, along with the Moose Lodge #548 in Lindenwold, NJ. With the Moose Lodge, Jack participated in the dart league and various volunteer events benefitting members in need. They also loved to visit the Moose Lodge location in Atlantic City, NJ.

Jack loved the outdoors, particularly fishing, crabbing, and duck hunting with his brother Steve. You could easily find him outside in his yard, wearing his sandals, a tee shirt and a pair of cargo shorts, grilling or smoking meat, with a fire roaring in his fire pit and a cigar in his hand. He could sit by a fire and talk for hours - and he did. He would tell stories about his youth with his family, his time in the Coast Guard, bands he saw live and music he listened to today. He was into jazz and blues, and made sure he had good speakers set up through the house and his porch so he could enjoy his tunes no matter where he was in the yard. He would discuss battles, presidents of years past, the best crayons to use for any project (Crayola, in case you are wondering) - everything was discussed by those fire pits with his kids, grandchildren - you name the subject, he was ready. The laughter that came from these sessions, the wisdom, the tears of thinking of those that weren't there with us anymore. Jack wanted these memories with his family, and he would always find a fire going wherever he was and plant himself there, and join in the conversation.

Jack was a lover of history, which started in high school and will continue in his passing. His chosen resting place, Finn's Point National Cemetery, is the resting place for other servicemen, including Confederate POWs and Union prison guards who died at Fort Delaware on Pea Patch Island during the Civil War. To get to the cemetery area of this historic site, you need to drive through the fort. Jack, we can totally dig this.

Jack is survived by his wife, Patricia (nee Herkert); his children, Jordan (Brittany), Mikayla, Stephen (Erin), and Adam; his grandchildren, Jonas, Domenica, Robert and Addison; his siblings, Tom (Andy), Sandra (Randy), Steven (Gail) and Lynette (Paul); his mother-in-law, Barbara, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws, and friends from all the walks of his life.

He is predeceased by his parents John and Carole, and his son Michael.

Services will be held privately with the family. A celebration of Jack's life will be held at a later date.

In leiu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite charity in Jack's name.