John F. Coogan

John Francis Coogan, 81, of Albany NY, passed peacefully into everlasting life on March 1, 2007, at Community Hospice Inn at St. Peter's Hospital, surrounded by loved ones. John was born on March 10, 1925 to the late Harry and Margherita (Pabst) Coogan, in Green Island, NY, but lived most of his life in Albany, NY. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1939 when he was 15 years old, trained at Fort McClellan in Alabama, and was stationed with the 27th Infantry, 106th Company Division from New York in Hawaii. John fought in the pacific arena of World War II, in the battles of Tarara, Marshall, Gilbert, Sipan and Okinowa islands. He was among the first wave of "Long Tom" gun soldiers to secure the island in the battle of Eniwetok in1944, for which he received an award of recognition. John returned to Albany, NY after the war and married Jane Klimek in 1947. He worked for the New York Telephone Company as a lineman, repairman, installer and technician from 1947 until his retirement in 1987. Co-workers fondly referred to him as "Coogie." John enjoyed working on cars, and was a consummate mechanic, electrician and handyman. He could fix just about anything, and you could always count on him to come to your aid in an emergency. A favorite place for John was the family camp in the Helderbergs, where he enjoyed nature, peace and quiet, and took great pride in the care and upkeep of "the land." John was also a lot of fun, apt to spontaneously sing out a silly song, drop a hilarious one liner, or pull off an ingenious and carefully planned prank. His incredible humor, impeccable comedic timing, and ability to make people laugh, will always be remembered and sorely missed.
John was pre-deceased by his daughter, Colleen (Coogan) Monje, who passed away in August of 2006; and six siblings, Harry, Sadie, Thomas, Jeannie, Russell and Patricia.
John is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 60 years, Jane (Klimek) Coogan; his daughters, Janice (Coogan) Hunter and Carol (Strausman) Coogan of Albany, NY; his son, John Michael Coogan of Philadelphia, PA; his brother, Robert Coogan of New Mexico; 10 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Monday at 12:00 PM at New Comer-Cannon Family Funeral Home, 343 New Karner Road, Colonie (Rt. 155-south of Central Ave.). Calling hours will be held on Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Angels Cemetery, Colonie. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.newcomerfamily.com.