In loving memory of John T. Dougherty, otherwise known by his family and friends as either Jack or Stealer.
Jack entered this world in the Bronx, New York, on January 9, 1933. During his lifetime, he had many adventures and a few occupations but all were done with the enthusiasm that Jack had for life. As a young teenager, he was part of the creation of Levittown on Long Island, the first community of its kind in a suburban setting…homes that were built for speculation. When the war in Korea was in progress, Jack enlisted in the United States Air Force. He served one year in Korea at K14, a camp near Seoul. After leaving Korea, Jack served the remainder of his four years stateside. After being discharged, Jack’s occupation continued with what he did in military service, hired by the Federal Aviation Administration. He worked first in New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and later in Tampa’s Air Traffic Control Tower until he retired in 1983. Following his retirement, Jack returned to his roots, working in construction as a superintendent until he truly retired in 2009. Jack remained in Tampa until his passing on May 16, 2022, at the Tampa Veterans Hospital.
Jack was first married to Dorothy Nocella and with that marriage, became father to John (Brenda and later, Emily) and Steven (Cathy). In later years, Jack remarried Lynn Sheehan and with that marriage, Sean (Kelly) and Ryan were born. All four boys grew into men that are not only brothers but also friends. The family continued to grow with grandchildren (John, Joe, Nyck and Sadie) and great-grandchildren (Zoe, Liam and Emma).
For Jack, family was life. He would do anything within his ability to protect his family. He was loyal to friends and easily made lifelong friends. He could entertain with stories from his younger days when he caddied for famous golfers and actually shook Babe Ruth’s hand. There was never an end to the surprises from Jack as he made life special, leaving so many memories behind to warm our hearts now. He will be missed more than one could imagine but we are eternally grateful to have had the gift of his presence in our lives.
