John Kenneth Trainor

John Kenneth Trainor passed peacefully from this life on October 18, 2025, at the Allen Morgan Health and Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Tennessee (TN). He was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania (PA) on August 19, 1943; son of Kenneth Edwin Trainor and Lucy (Alimena) Trainor. He grew up in Washington, DC and graduated from Saint John's Catholic High School in 1961. John played football at Western Maryland College in Westminster, Maryland (MD) prior to joining the United States Marine Corps.

John played with the Western Maryland "Green Terror" as a member of the 1961, 1962, 1963 Mason-Dixon Conference Championship teams and the 1962, 1963 Middle Atlantic Conference Championship teams. In 1964, he was named the Mason-Dixon Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year and Little All-American Honorable Mention. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame for McDaniel College (Western Maryland) in 2013.

At 22, right after graduating from Western Maryland College, he entered the Marines and went to flight school, where he played linebacker for the Pensacola Goshawks at the Naval Air Station. After receiving his commission in 1965, he received his wings and served in Vietnam during 1967 and 1968, where he flew with lifelong friends Al LaRocca and Frank Fato. The three of them went through Vietnam together flying Medevac helicopters and, later, flew together at Federal Express (FedEx). During his service as a Marine Corps Naval Aviator, he flew more than 800 medevac missions in Vietnam and was awarded 40 Air Medals and a Distinguished Flying Cross. His squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation.

After the Marines, John flew for a small corporate aviation department and then became an aero safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). In 1973, he began his 31-year career as one of the first employees with FedEx, as a Captain where he flew Falcons, 727's and DC10's. "We loaded the planes, flew the planes and unloaded the planes all night and slept at day – we lived like bats." John enjoyed martial arts (as a black belt), shooting pistols (particularly his 1911s), and riding motorcycles.

A few years back, a group of local Harley owners formed a chapter of Rolling Thunder, Inc., a non-profit organization with a 3-fold mission: (1) Educate the public on the issue of POW/MIAs, (2) prevent future veterans from being left behind should they become POW/MIAs, and (3) help veterans of all wars. In 2008, he joined in the "Run to the Wall" which is held every year in Washington, DC on Memorial Day weekend.

John is survived by his loving wife of 34 years; Margaret Roper Trainor, children; John (Coleen) Trainor, Angela (Bengie) Biggus, grandchildren; Lauren Trainor, Morgan (Schadrack) Jean-Francois, Travis (Alexandra) Spangler, Amaris (Tiana) Biggus, Breanna Trainor, Serena Trainor, great-grandchildren; Oliver Spangler, Margaux Jean-Francois (pending), and Ezra Biggus. We would like to thank Frank Fato for his support and dedication, especially over the past difficult year.

Visitation will be held at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church (8151 Poplar Ave Germantown, TN. 38138) on Saturday October 25, 2025, at 9:30am, with services following at 10:30am. Interment will be at Elmwood Cemetery, and a reception will be held at the Brooklyn Bridge afterwards.

Memorial donations can be provided to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 719468 Philadelphia, PA. 19171.