John K. Gleason

(Home News Tribune)

JOHN K. GLEASON
AGE: 63 SOMERSET
John K. Gleason died Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008, at his winter home in Bradenton, Fla., surrounded by his loving family, after a lengthy illness. He was 63.
John was born in Atlantic City and resided in New Brunswick until moving to the Somerset section of Franklin Township in 1971. At this time, he relocated the Gleason Funeral Home from New Brunswick to Somerset.
He was a 1967 graduate of the American Academy McAllister Institute in New York City and became a licensed funeral director in 1969. Mr. Gleason was the owner and operator of the Gleason Funeral Home in Somerset for nearly 40 years. The funeral home was founded by John E. and Kathryn B Gleason, John's parents in 1929, and is currently operated by the third generation of Gleasons.
Mr. Gleason was a longtime communicant of Saint Matthias R.C. Church in Somerset, where he was very active. He was a member of the Holy Name Society, a Eucharistic Minister, and an usher. John was involved in volunteering his time to assist with Bingo night at the church, belonging to the "Bingo One'' team. He also belonged to the Knights of Columbus.
Mr. Gleason was a member of the Franklin Township Jaycees, Franklin Township Lions Club, Franklin Township Loyal Order of the Moose, and the Ancient Order of the Hibernian. He was inducted as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
John also sat on the Board of Directors of the Franklin Township Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors of McCarrick Care Center in Somerset. He served as past president and was a member of the Middlesex-Somerset Funeral Directors Association, and a delegate to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Mr. Gleason was also a sports enthusiast and enjoyed playing and watching all sports. John played softball for the Franklin-Somerset Liquors Softball Team. He also coached C.Y.O basketball for both Sacred Heart School in New Brunswick and Saint Matthias School in Somerset. He was also a member of the Asbury Park Fishing Club. He was an avid N.Y. Giants fan and a founding member of the "Monday Night Football Wrecking Crew.'' He was a Yankee enthusiast. His love for the Yankees dates back to his youth. A highlight of his life was having lunch and many telephone conversations with Whitey Ford, his childhood hero.
This October, he was honored at a dinner dance at Temple Beth El for his many years of service to the community.
His winter home in Florida has provided him with many friends and favorite pastimes as well. He was a member of Waterlefe Golf and River Club in Bradenton. Mr. Gleason also enjoyed spending his summers in Loch Arbour, N.J.
John is survived by his devoted wife of 40 years, Barbara (Galipo) Gleason of Somerset; his sons, John of Asbury Park and William and his wife Lisa of Somerset, and his daughter, Meghan Gleason Peragine and her husband Kevin Peragine of Hillsborough; his sister, Ann Kerwin and her husband Thomas of Toms River; two grandchildren, Liam Gleason and Kathryn Peragine; cousins Marianne Hinkle of Brookline, Mass., and Robert Hinkle of the Bronx, N.Y., and many nieces and nephews.
Services will be held 10 a.m. Thursday at Gleason Funeral Home, 1360 Hamilton Street, Somerset, followed by a 10:30 a.m. Funeral Mass at Saint Matthias R.C. Church in Somerset. Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Piscataway. Relatives and Friends may call tonight (Tuesday) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Saint Matthias Church, 170 JFK Blvd., Somerset NJ 08873 or to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Saint Matthias Church, 170 JFK Blvd., Somerset, NJ 08873.