John Thomas McErlean Jr.

The Games of Life
He admitted it was a silly T-shirt, but for John McErlean Jr. it tapped into a deeper truth. The words emblazoned on it were "Life Is Good," and he bought it last summer when he and his wife, Beth, returned to Nantucket, where they spent their first vacation together 15 years earlier. On that earlier trip, though, they did not have four children in tow.

"John said, 'It seems so simple, but it's true: I've been blessed with a wonderful family and everything I wanted from life,' " she recalled.

The entire family agreed that last summer's was the best vacation they had ever had — they biked, flew kites, kayaked and built a bonfire on the beach one evening with some of Mr. McErlean's colleagues from Cantor Fitzgerald, where he was a partner. Still, returning home to Larchmont, N.Y., was hardly a letdown. It was where he had grown up, where he and Beth had dated in high school.

Girard Smith, who was Mr. McErlean's neighbor, paddle tennis partner and close friend since the fourth grade (they even chose the same college, St. Michael's in Vermont), said that the finest testament to Mr. McErlean was "how many people called John their best friend." He talked of Mr. McErlean's a joyous belly-laugh and good-natured competitive streak.

"Johnny could make games out of anything," he said. "Traveling to college we would play `Name That Tune' on the radio for three hours. He always did things like that with his wife and kids, making a game out of life to make it more fun."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 21, 2001.


McERLEAN-John Thomas Jr. Of Larchmont, NY, died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. He was 39 years old. Born July 27, 1962, in New York City to Agnes and John McErlean Sr. He was raised in Larchmont and attended Iona Prep and St. Michael's College in Vermont. He received a BA in Business in 1984. John had a successful 17-year career on Wall Street, which began at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. In 1988, he joined Cantor Fitzgerald and most recently served as a Vice President and Partner. He was a parishioner of St. Augustine's Church and a member of the Larchmont Yacht Club. He was an avid sports fan and served as coach for a variety of children's teams in his community. John was deeply loved by his family and his friends. He will always be rembembered for his sparkling smile, quick wit, generosity, sincerity and a tremendous devotion to his wife and family. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife of 14 years, Beth; his four children, Ryan 11, Timothy 9, Mary Kate 8, and Allie Maeve 4. He is also survived by his parents, John and Agnes McErlean; sisters, Ann McErlean, Marie Hunter, Aggie Duhamel, Catherine Francese; brother, Thomas McErlean and 15 nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held on Monday, 11 AM, at St. Augustine's Church in Larchmont. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Twin Towers Fund, P.O. Box 26999, New York, NY 10087-6999, benefiting the families of the policemen, firemen and EMT's who gave their lives to save others.