John J. McCormack, 82, passed away peacefully on August 3, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife and family members.
Born in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York to Mary Vaughan and Martin McCormack. John grew up alongside his beloved older brothers and best friends, Martin Jr. and Donald (Don), both of whom predeceased him.
John proudly served in the United States Army as a member of the Military Police Corps, with postings in France and Turkey. In 1967, he married Margaret “Peggy” Mannion of The Bronx, beginning an adventurous 58‐year journey that took them from New York City to stops in New
Mexico, where he attended Eastern New Mexico University, before settling in New Jersey, with most of their time in Pennington and the surrounding area. There they raised their three sons—Justin, Brian, and Sean (Annie Chang)—and welcomed the great joy of John’s later years, his grandsons: Augustus (Augie), Declan, and Leopold (Leo) who would visit often from Texas.
John credited his professional life beginning when he worked for a florist while still in high school, later at General Motors and then onto his lifelong career in the commercial real estate industry. In the early 1970s John and Peggy moved to the Trenton‐Princeton metro area, where he gained the respect of colleagues, clients, and competitors alike.
John cherished time with his family and many lifelong friends often at the Jersey Shore or Callicoon, New York—a quiet place in the Catskill Mountains where he spent many summers with his parents and brothers and later shared the serene surroundings with Peggy, their sons and grandsons. He and Peggy also enjoyed many trips to Ireland to visit their family homesteads and cherished relatives.
A man of deep faith and strong community ties, John was a devoted supporter and congregant of St. James Catholic Church in Pennington. He was a past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Council 7000.
He took great pride in his heritage and was a regular presence at local Irish‐ American cultural events, organizations and establishments. John, and his close friend Billy Briggs, publican of Tir‐na‐nOg even traveled together to India.
John will be remembered for his warmth, his quick‐witted humor, his loyalty to his family, and the steady, generous spirit he brought to every chapter of his life.
And, to whoever stole his 1967 Chevy Camaro Super Sport in The Bronx, he’s now on to you!
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The McCormack Family welcomes guests for a viewing and to pay last respects on Tuesday, August 11 from 4:00pm ‐ 6:00pm at the Wilson Apple Funeral Home located at 2560 Pennington Rd., Pennington, NJ 08534.
Please note, to accommodate family and friends from afar, the McCormack Family will host a Memorial Mass and reception to celebrate John’s life and thank everyone for their friendship and support. This will be scheduled at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to a local Irish‐American cultural organization of your choosing, a cancer research center or to his poker buddies
who will now suffer without his regular contribution to their winnings! Condolences are welcomed at www.wilsonapple.com
