John P. McEnery

Words of Remembrance from Brendan and the McEnery Family:

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Thank you to everyone gathered here today to celebrate the life of John McEnery. For those that don´t know me, I am John´s grandson, Brendan. It´s an honor to be able to share the memories and reflections of my grandpa´s loving family with you all.



In the fall of 2014, I was lucky enough to travel to my grandfather´s hometown of Tipperary, Ireland, with my own father, Kevin. The town is much like my grandfather himself - not flashy or fancy or grandiose, but filled with wry wit and charm that makes you feel very much at ease and at home. I was able to walk down Father Matthew Street, where grandpa was born and raised. He was the son of Edmond and Mary McEnery (an only child - something of a rarity in Ireland!). Much had changed in Tipperary since his childhood there. He grew up in a 2-room house without indoor plumbing or electricity - he himself helped to install lighting in his home as a teenager.



In fact, much had changed about the country of Ireland as a whole. On our trip, my father and I bought tickets and stood in line to see major tourist attractions, like the Rock of Castle and Cahir Castle. As a child, my grandpa often rode his bike to those same ruins, exploring the Irish countryside in a way that´s no longer possible.



Exploring and venturing forward in the world was a bit of a habit for grandpa - he only stayed in Ireland until he was just shy of 18, when he left for New York to seek work. He arrived with almost no money, a small suitcase of clothes, and an 8th grade education, going from a small impoverished town in Ireland to the biggest city in America. My grandfather truly was an American success story and encapsulated the American dream. He came from very humble beginnings, but he worked hard and forged a life for himself. Despite the adversity he faced, he never seemed bothered by his challenges, always had a positive outlook, and never complained about the difficulties and misfortune that faced him along the way (also very unusual for an Irishman!).



He was truly a self-made man. In fact, one of his favorite sayings was "I eat when I´m hungry and I sleep when I´m tired." He truly lived by that motto. He was determined and hard-working, sacrificing much to provide for his loved ones. But that never stopped him from being mischievous and funny, a constant joker who could get a laugh from any situation.



He eventually made his way to South St Louis and built his career as a baker, starting at Favorite Bakery on Cherokee Street, rising to be baking manager of all the St Louis Stix Bear and Fuller stores, and eventually taking on baking consulting positions for companies around America. He eventually became a master baker and became known in St. Louis as one of the top cake decorators, back in an era when cake decoration was a true craft. I remember once when grandpa visited me while I was in college in Tulsa, Oklahoma - he pointed to the Bama Pie company down the street from my apartment and casually remarked, "I used to come down here and help them out all the time." He built a prolific and storied career from almost nothing. Oh, and he was also proud that he was very instrumental in the development of Famous Amos cookie formula.



And possibly the biggest fans of Grandpa John´s baking career were his family - his wife Jeanne and his children: John, Michael, Kevin, and Mary. Growing up, they were treated to showers of stolens, cheesecakes, donuts, and other sweet treats. While raising them, he also made sure to school them in the important (and very healthy) culinary traditions of South St Louis - Imo´s Pizza and White Castle. Of course, his children continued to benefit from his baking prowess even after they had grown up and started their own lives. At the wedding of my own parents, Kevin and Nancy, no one was surprised that the delicious wedding cake was carefully hand-crafted and decorated by none other than the father of the groom, John McEnery.



John´s family soon grew to include nine grandchildren. He spent many a day with us: fishing at Suson Park (though we seldom caught anything), letting us explore the backyard, which seemed huge to our young eyes, and updating us on the latest happenings of the hummingbirds outside the house. He also loved to take us out for lunch at Steak and Shake, ice cream at Ted Drewes, to a movie at Ronnie´s, or our annual Christmas outing to the Imax Santa Movie at the Science Center. Without fail, every time we stopped by, he insisted we grab a soda from the fridge in the garage, despite the fact that they were often a year or two past expiration and just a bit flat.



He still liked to bake after he retired, and he especially enjoyed baking with his grandchildren. The only problem was that all of his recipes were for huge commercial-sized batches. So we would spend the day helping him to make hundreds of chocolate chip cookies, much to the chagrin of my grandmother! Not to give away any secrets, but grandpa always insisted that the best chocolate chip cookies were small cookies with the mini chocolate chips!



My grandpa never let the world pass him by. He had many friends and many hobbies. In his younger days, you could often catch him at his monthly card games with the members of the Young Ireland´s Club - Jack Callaghan and Martin and Vince Kelly, with whom he became lifelong friends. He loved to fix things and tinker around the house, take trips to the casino (where he won much more often than he lost!), and listen to music - especially oldies and the Beatles. He loved amusement parks and roller coasters, though my grandmother rarely approved. He was never alone, always socializing with neighbors and coworkers... he never met a stranger. He was such close friends with Bob and Millie Miller that it probably wasn´t until my teenage years that I realized I wasn´t related to them by blood - he always made sure they were a part of every holiday and event, every occasion and festivity.



And no matter what my grandpa was up to, you could be sure he had a sarcastic joke up his sleeve, shortly followed by a chuckle and a grin to himself. He lived the life he wanted to the fullest and never particularly dreaded death - in fact, one of his most common retorts in his later years was "Well... you´ve got to die of something."



He was a faithful husband, a devoted father and grandfather, and a loyal friend; a fixture both in his Catholic parish, the South County Republican Party, and at any party that would have him. He would be so happy to see you all gathered here today - the family and friends that meant so much to him. He never aspired to be rich, famous, or influential. He only ever wanted to be a good man, a giving man. Thank you for celebrating his mark on the world, and carrying on his memory in your heart.



All are welcome to join us for a luncheon in celebration of John´s life at one of his favorite restaurants, Bartolino´s South, 5914 S Lindbergh Blvd. immediately following the interment at Resurrection Cemetery.

I came to know Mr. McEnery from playing music with his sons for many, many years. He was a good father and always treated his son´s friends with kindness and respect. He and his wife raised a fine family and he always had a kind word. He will be missed.