Honorable John Emmett Fennelly: August 14, 1943 – May 15, 2019

It is with great sadness that the family of the Honorable John Emmett Fennelly announce his passing on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.   John, widely known as Jack, is survived by his three loving children and their spouses: Sean Emmett (Eileen), Kerry Anne (John) and Padraic Byrne (Robin) as well as the grandchildren he adored: Mary Katherine, Margaret Elizabeth, Thomas Emmett, Michael Conor, John Patrick, Molly Kathleen, Caitlin Byrne and Ryan Padraic.   He is also survived by his sister Loretta Volini, his partner in crime and best friend, as well as countless friends he made living and working in the greater Treasure Coast Area for over 40 years.  John was preceded in death by his loving wife, Sheila Mary (nee Byrne) in 2004.

Faith, Family, Patriotism and Public Service were the pillars upon which John built his life.

John's Catholic faith ran deep.  A daily communicant for most of his life, he was a student of scripture, of Church history and of St. Aquinas and St. Augustine.  He read from the Bible every morning, and tried to live his life as best he could with devotion and faith to Jesus Christ.

As the son of Irish immigrants, educating his children was something John took very seriously— in particular educating his children in the Catholic faith, which was so important to him.  All three of John and Sheila's children attended Catholic school – both St. Joseph's in Stuart and St. Anastasia's in Ft. Pierce, and all three graduated from John Carroll High School in Ft. Pierce, Florida.

John was a great father.  He was loving, kind and generous.  He was always ready to serve as a sounding board, to talk about life and its challenges, and to provide advice and counsel based upon his many experiences in the world.  He had a great sense of humor, never took himself seriously, and, most importantly, was always there for his family.  He was so proud of his children – Sean, Kerry and Padraic.  He was proud of their professional accomplishments, but far more so, he was so proud of the families they built and the children they were raising, his 8 grandchildren, whom he loved and cherished.

John was a loyal graduate of St. Rita of Casica High School, an Augustinian Catholic boys' school on the South Side of Chicago.  Upon graduating, John joined the United States Marine Corps and  went to Parris Island, South Carolina for boot camp, and then on to Camp Pendleton, Twenty-Nine Palms and Okinawa, where he rose to the rank of corporal (a few times, according to family lore.)  He was proud of his service to our country as a United States Marine, and his training as a Marine provided the bedrock and baseline for how he lived his life.  He shined his shoes religiously, even his golf shoes -- which was the source of much teasing and jokes over the years.

Following his time in the Marine Corps, John returned to Chicago and began his service to the City of Chicago as one of Chicago's finest, where he rose to the rank of Sergeant, and served during momentous times, including during the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the general unrest of the late 1960s.  While working full time on the Chicago Police Department, John attended Loyola University and Kent College of Law, where he earned his Bachelor's and Juris Doctorate degrees.

Before law school, and in between stints on the Chicago police force, John and Sheila moved for a short time to St. Louis, where John was a Secret Service Agent for the U.S. Treasury Department.  As family lore goes, he once was protecting a foreign official in New York City who shook his protection team to pursue the seamier side of New York nightlife.  After returning to his home country, no longer under Secret Service protection, of course, the dignitary in question was unfortunately assassinated.  Stories like this were plentiful and gleefully recounted.

Upon graduation from law school, John accepted a position as an officer in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps and was stationed at Naval Training Center Orlando.  John moved his young family from the Windy City to the Sunshine State – never looking back.  But as much as he loved Florida, John had an ex-pat's love of his hometown Chicago and would go on to all that would listen about the old neighborhood and his times in Chicago.

After completion of his service as a JAG officer, John left the Navy to serve as an Assistant State's Attorney in Stuart and Ft. Pierce, Florida.  He joked throughout his legal career, "Crime has been very, very good to me!" It was from his position as a state prosecutor that he was appointed to the bench by Governor Bob Graham in 1986.

In addition to working as a State's Attorney, John served in the Reserves as an Army JAG officer from 1980 until 2003.  During this time period he also served as a Military Judge and had the honor to serve on the Court of Military Appeals.

In civilian life, John served as a circuit judge on Florida's 19th Judicial Circuit, covering Martin, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, and Indian River counties from the time of his appointment in 1986 until his retirement in 2004.  During his time on the bench, Judge Fennelly was a fair and firm voice for justice and the rule of law.  When he was sworn in, State's Attorney Robert Stone said John was a 'firm, tough and relentless' man who also has 'fairness, compassion and understanding.' He wore the robe with honor, and was so proud that a first-generation Irish kid from the South Side of Chicago could serve his new Florida community in that capacity.

John was a true scholar. However, he was an intellectual who spurned intellectuals—a guy's guy.  A teller of stories.  A listener. A debater. He had strong opinions on pretty much anything and everything, and very much enjoyed a good session over a couple of drinks.  But for all of his intellectual convictions, he never let that prevent him from showing kindness to every person he met.  John read more than anyone you will ever know, and even his kitchen cabinets had been repurposed as bookshelves.  From obscure memoirs about German generals, to biographies of Churchill, to philosophy and books about the Roman Empire, John read incessantly and joked about having about 10 books underway at any given time.  There is a library somewhere that will be thankful for his generosity!

John would be so pleased that his two Holes-in-One were a part of his obituary.  John Fennelly hit a hole in one on August 27, 2016 at Evergreen Country Club.  He has the plaque to prove it, although no witnesses.  He also hit a hole in one in 2004 at Crane Creek Country Club while playing golf with Sheila, her brother Tom and his wife Rosalie.  They didn't see it go in either, but there it was in the hole.  It was a great day.

His family will miss him greatly.  We find solace knowing he is at peace, with the Lord he loved and prepared to meet his entire life, and that he is reunited with his wife Sheila, his brother Donald, and his Mom and Dad, Thomas and Mary.  God Bless John Emmett Fennelly.  He was a great man and we will miss him dearly.  He was one of a kind.

Per family request, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent in honor of the Honorable John E. Fennelly to St. Rita's High School, 7740 S. Western Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60620 Attention: John Schmitt.

Please feel free to share a remembrance, message of condolence or light a virtual candle with the family thought this online guestbook.