Martin F. McKernan, Jr., passed away on August 3, 2021, after a short illness. Martin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 24, 1945, to Martin F. McKernan and Monica M. McKernan, of Camden, New Jersey, who predeceased him. His beloved sister, Monica (H. Michael) Holland also predeceased him, and he is survived by his sisters Theresa (Thomas) Donahue, of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and Regina (Christopher) Harm, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as by 12 nieces and nephews, and 10 great nieces and nephews.
Martin grew up in Camden and in Haddonfield, New Jersey, attending St. Mary’s Catholic School in Camden, and graduating from St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia in 1963. He entered St. Francis Seminary in Loretto, Pennsylvania, in that year, but left to attend St. Joseph’s University, from which he graduated in 1968. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University in 1971 and served in the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion of the U.S. Army Reserves, in Trenton, New Jersey. After his discharge in 1974, he became Camden City Attorney. When he left the City Attorney’s office in 1979, he practiced law with his father, and was the senior partner in the Camden law firm of McKernan, McKernan & Godino.
From 1971 to 1974, Martin was general counsel to the national Right to Life Committee, and in 1974, he was a founding member of the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment and served as a trustee since that time. Martin was also a member of the Executive Committee of the National Diocesan Attorneys Association, representing Region III, which includes Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, and served as a member of the Public Policy Committee of the New Jersey Catholic Conference. He was named a Knight of St. Gregory by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
Martin was admitted to the bar of the State of New Jersey and to the U.S. District Court of New Jersey in 1971, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 1979, and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1997. He was one of the original trustees of the Camden Center for Law and Social Justice, where he served from 1988 to 2006. He also served as a trustee of Rowan University, in Glassboro, New Jersey, since 2009, and was a trustee of the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University since 2011. In addition, he was the attorney of record for the Camden County Board of Social Services and served the Diocese of Camden as its legal counsel since 1978.
Martin served as counsel for the Audubon Mutual Housing Corporation from 1978 to 2011, the Housing Authority of the City of Camden from 1978 to 1987, the Parking Authority of the City of Camden from 1978 to 1996, the City of Camden Redevelopment Agency from 1985 to 2007, and the Camden County Board of Social Services from 1989 to 2021. He was a member of the Camden County Bar Association for all of his professional life, and served as a Trustee from 1979 to 1981. He served as Member of the New Jersey Supreme Court District IV Fee Arbitration Committee from 1995 to 1999 and was a member of the United States Supreme Court Historical Society since 1997.
He also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Camden Free Public Library from 1997 to 2010, as a Commissioner of the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority from 1998 to 2012 and was a Member of the Board of Trustees of Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2016.
Martin was a steadfast and dutiful son, a loving and devoted brother, and an affectionate and fun-loving uncle. Every family gathering was blessed by his presence, and he added the sparkle to every holiday celebration, as well as to every milestone event in the lives of his parents, his sisters, and his nieces and nephews. His excursions to pick up the donuts during summer vacations with his family at the Outer Banks in North Carolina are legendary, and will always be remembered with pleasure, as will his travels to Europe with family and friends. His disquisitions to the “Camden Dinner Club” about the proper way to mix a manhattan kept all its members spellbound, as was his ability to quote his favorite historical figure, Sir Winston Churchill. And his generosity seemed to expand with the years. He quietly helped out many whose identities will only be known to his Creator.
He was, through and through, a loyal Roman Catholic and a lawyer who loved the law. To state that Martin was a man of faith is an understatement; he was a man of hope and charity, devotion and reverence, as well. He understood the importance of the Church as an institution which, despite its flaws, could be – and has been – a force for good. As for the law, both the bench and the bar recognized not only his legal learning, but also his powers of persuasion during oral argument and the polish of any piece of writing that he submitted to any court, tribunal, or hearing board. Nothing appeared to give him more pleasure than to read, analyze, and comment on the latest opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States or of New Jersey that addressed the establishment or free exercise clause, and he considered himself lucky to practice in the State of New Jersey, where he considered both state and federal judges to be far above the national average in terms of legal wisdom and professional courtesy.
A viewing will be held at the Alloway Funeral Home, 315 East Maple Avenue, in Merchantville, New Jersey, on Friday evening, August 6, 2021, from 6 P.M. to 9 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at the Christ Our Light Catholic Church, located at 402 Kings Highway North, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, at 12:00 P.M, on Saturday, August 7, 2021 followed by interment at Calvary Cemetery, in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. There will be no viewing before the Mass. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, 1733 W. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19130, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Camden, 1845 Haddon Avenue, Camden NJ 08104, or The Parish of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 642 Market Street, Camden NJ 08102.
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