John Brannigan

With a life that spanned times of war and times of peace, times of plenty and times of want, John Brannigan lived a life of purpose while cherishing every moment that he had to spend with his loved ones. He was never one to worry about the things he had, rather, his focus was on blessing those around him. Life was not without times of trial for John, but it was his faith that helped him weather the storms of life that came his way. Often the life of the party, he had the best stories and loved getting everyone going with his jokes. Life will never be the same without John here, but he leaves behind a timeless legacy that his loved ones will proudly carry on in his footsteps.

America did not disappoint since the Roaring Twenties were a vibrant time when innovation was taking us places we had never been. Radios, washing machines, and motion pictures in both color and sound were all signs of the time when Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb made baseball America’s favorite past time. It was just as this exciting decade was dawning that James and Delia Brannigan were eagerly anticipating the birth of their new baby as fall colored the landscape of Brooklyn, New York, in all its radiant beauty. The big day finally arrived on October 26, 1920, when the baby boy they named John Patrick drew his first breath. He was the youngest of three children and was raised in the family home alongside his older sister, Mary, and his older brother, James. His father worked as a New York subway engineer, while his mother was a busy homemaker. Both of John’s parents immigrated to the United States from Ireland.

In many ways, John was a young boy of his generation. He enjoyed going to the Boys Club for swimming and other activities with his brother, James. John learned to work on cars from his buddy, Bruno, and he discovered that he was interested in geology at a young age. As a student, John attended Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. John then went on to serve in the military both in the Air Force and as a corporal in the Army. The bulk of his time in the service was spent in Arizona where he was a weather observer. After moving to Michigan, he became a rigger/machine remover.

New and exciting changes were in store for John when he met the young woman of his dreams. Her name was Mary Jean Carzon, and sparks flew right from the start. They began dating and soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to establish a life together, John and Mary Jean were married, beginning a new chapter in a love story that would span nearly 44 years. Together they were filled with unspeakable joy to welcome three children, Janet, Michael, and Kathleen, into their hearts and home. Family time was always important to John. They took some special vacations to New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida. In celebration of his 80th birthday, he went to Paris with Janet, Peter, and Stella. John was also thrilled to visit Ireland where he met his first cousins on both sides of the family.

Although nothing was of greater significance in his life than spending time with his family, John did enjoy other interests as well. He absolutely loved swimming, and he always enjoyed a good John Wayne movie. John loved jokes and was forever trying to make people laugh. He also told great stories, primarily about his work as a police officer. John was known to say, “I am sitting here staring at the wall,” and when someone called he handed over the phone and said, “Want to talk to the relatives?” John was a devout Catholic who said the rosary, or “the beads” as he called them, and his faith brought him the strength he needed to get through hard times.

The heartbeat of wherever he went, John Brannigan was the sort of person everyone seemed to know. After retiring, he volunteered with St Vincent De Paul and Veterans Haven Inc. . He had a positive outlook no matter what came his way, and he was happy in life as well. John loved visiting with people and regularly had a shot and a beer. John filled his days with so many things he enjoyed, but what made these things even better was sharing them with the people he treasured most. He will be forever missed.

John “Mike” Patrick Brannigan died on November 22, 2015. John’s family includes his children, Janet (Andrew) Croggon of London, England, Michael (Carol) of Austin, Texas, and Kathleen (Alan) Ingrody; grandchildren, Laura (Ryan) Ferguson, Eric Brannigan, Kevin and Matthew Ingrody; siblings, the late James and Mary; many nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews. John was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jean. Family will receive friends on Friday from 2-9 p.m. with a Rosary at 7 p.m. at Neely-Turowski Funeral Home, 30200 Five Mile (Between Middlebelt and Merriman). A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St Genevieve-St Maurice Parish, 29015 Jamison, Livonia (east of Middlebelt) on Saturday, 11 a.m. (in state at 10:15). In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to Veterans Haven Inc, 4924 S Wayne Rd, Wayne, MI 48184 or the Fr Solanus Center. To share a favorite memory and/or photo of John’s and to sign the online guestbook, please visit www.turowskilifestory.com