Obituary
John Joseph McGrory, 93, of Port Orange passed away February 25th. John was born on April 3,1923 in Brooklyn, IA, to John and Ameila McGrory. He graduated from St. John’s High School in Victor, IA, and from St. Ambrose College in Davenport, IA, with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1943. John served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and was an officer on the USS LST 981. He married Mary Helen Conley in Victor on August 29, 1946 and they were blessed with four children. He farmed for a time with his father in Hartwick, IA, before entering banking in 1966 at the Victor State Bank. In 1972 they moved to Daytona Beach where he was employed at the Daytona Furniture Showroom until his retirement in 1984. During his retirement he volunteered at St. Paul’s Basilica and delivered for the COA Meals on Wheels program. He enjoyed playing golf at the Daytona Country Club and occasionally substituted for Mary’s bridge club. He was a lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus and the Elks Lodge #1141. John was preceded in death by his brother, Dr. William McGrory, and his oldest daughter, Barbara Hess, and is survived by his beloved wife of 70 years, Mary, and children Thomas (Ellen), Mary Kay Blenco (Dave) and Sarah Owens (Mike). He is also survived by Robert Hess and his wife Kathy and grandchildren Drew Hess (Xan), Blake Hess (Holly), Bryce McGrory (Jaimie), Chase McGrory (Lauren), Merideth Doty, Chris Owens, Paige Owens and eight great grandchildren. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to The Volusia County Council on Aging (Meals on Wheels).
The Funeral Mass will be held at St. Paul’s Basilica in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 9:00 am. Burial with Military Honors will follow at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, Mims, FL. Arrangements are in the care and trust of Baldwin Brothers Funeral and Cremation Society, Port Orange, FL.
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