John Timothy Lanigan

LANIGAN John Timothy Lanigan "Tim" Passed away at the age of 74 on April 28, 2016 at his home in Washington, D.C. with his beloved wife, Donna, at his side. The cause was a rare cancer, leiomyosarcoma. Tim was born November 18, 1941 in Harper Hospital, Detroit, Michigan to Frances and John B. Lanigan and baptized on December 7, 1941. He grew up in Ardsley Park, Irvington, New York. He attended the Hackley School in nearby Tarrytown for a year before Portsmouth Priory now Abbey School in Rhode Island, graduating in 1960. He was a history major at Georgetown University graduating in 1964. He served two years as a U.S. Army lieutenant with the 2nd Armored Division, teaching communications his final year at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. He began his writing career at Time, Inc. as a marketing presentation and copy writer. His love of politics started as press aide in the 1973 Marchi New York mayoral campaign which led to his transition as press secretary and speechwriter to Senator James L. Buckley of New York. He returned to New York to be speechwriter for several heads of Texaco while also serving on the Greenwich, Connecticut Board of Social Services and Republican Town Committee. His love of politics brought him back to Washington in 1988 and positions working for James A. Baker III at Treasury, Rep. William S. Broomfield at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and heads of the Justice Department''s Drug Enforcement Administration. He also worked at the American Petroleum Institute. He was an avid reader and collector of used books especially on history, church and politics. He was known for his natural golf swing, love of squash and long walks. He had a beautiful speaking voice and was musically gifted, famous for his rendition of Happy Birthday sung for family and friends. Throughout his life he was active in his community and his church. He served as a literacy volunteer and soup kitchen helper in Stamford, was on the parish council at St. Mary''s in Greenwich, and wrote book reviews for the Greenwich Time. He wrote the parish history and served as a long-time lector as well as chairman of the Adult Education committee of Annunciation Church in DC. He wrote numerous articles for the For Your Marriage website of the USCCB, the John Carroll Society newsletter and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels for many years, taught GED classes at two DC Catholic Charity locations and gave short classes on speechwriting at the Georgetown University Learning Community program. He is survived by his wife Donna, his sister Susan, brother Robert, a nephew, three nieces, and four grand nieces and nephews. A wake will be held Wednesday May 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. at DeVol Funeral Home 2222 Wisconsin Avenue NW with complimentary valet parking. On Thursday May 5 a gathering at 10 a.m. will be followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church 3810 Massachusetts Ave NW in Washington. Burial will be at Gate of Heaven cemetery in Hawthorne, New York at noon Friday May 6th. Donations in Tim''s name can be sent to: Catholic Charities 924 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001, Annunciation Church 3810 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20016 or Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Corys Ln, Portsmouth, RI 02871Donations in Tim''s name can be sent to: Catholic Charities 924 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001, Annunciation Church 3810 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20016 or Portsmouth Abbey School, 285 Corys Ln, Portsmouth, RI 02871