Obituary of John "Jack" Jennings

John “Jack” Joseph Jennings, age 95, beloved husband of Mary Elizabeth Hooley Jennings of Seymour, died peacefully June 19, 2023, surrounded by family at the West Haven VA Medical Center.  Born in South Providence, RI on January 28, 1928, he was the son of the late Joseph and Nellie Mycroft Jennings. Jack was raised in Providence and was a proud U.S. Navy Veteran of World War II.  He moved to Connecticut in 1959, first residing in Ansonia and then later settling in Seymour in 1965. Jack was considered a “lifetime member” with the Ironworkers Union, Local 37 of Providence, RI. He worked with the union for 43 years prior to his retirement in 1993. He also worked as a Foreman for 34 years with the Brunalli Construction Company of Southington, building bridges across New York State and Connecticut.  In his younger years, Jack was an amateur boxer and semi-professional football player for the Providence Barons, later becoming a passionate golfer until the age of 92. He was often known as a great putter, but could work magic around the greens with his six iron. He was a member of the Hop Brook Country Club of Naugatuck, the former Great Hill Country Club of Seymour and the Elks Club, BPOE, Lodge 967 of Naugatuck. A fan of the UCONN Women’s basketball team and the New England Patriots, Jack would try his luck with the daily numbers as well as horses, where he’d handicap his own picks. Throughout his life, Jack effortlessly formed lifelong friendships through his storytelling and endless supply of sarcastic jokes. He will be long remembered as someone who loved to strike up a lively conversation with anyone around him, truly lighting up any room he walked into.  In addition to his wife of 68 years, he is survived by his brother, Joseph Jennings of Rhode Island; devoted children, Steve (Marcia) Jennings of Texas, John (Priscilla) Jennings of Seymour, Karen (Charles) Ward of Milford and Mike (Amy) Jennings of Guilford; son-in-law, George Wityak of New Mexico; cherished grandchildren, Ryan and Colin (Lindsey) Wityak, Marisa (Jonathan) Davidson, Matthew and David Jennings, Richard (Alexa) and Elizabeth Ruggiero, Maria, Sarah, and Hanna Jennings; great grandchildren, Sage Wityak and Scarlett Ruggerio; as well as several nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by a daughter, Mary Ann Wityak; brothers, James, Robert and Edward Jennings; and sisters Marion Nunes and Margaret Day.  Family and friends may call at the Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home, 167 Wakelee Avenue, Ansonia, on Friday, June 23, 2023 from 4:00-7:00 PM.  Funeral services will take place on Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 9:00 AM from the Wakelee Memorial Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM in the Parish of St. Nicholas – Church of the Good Shepherd, 135 Mountain Rd., Seymour.  Interment with Military Honors will follow in Mountain Meadows Cemetery, Seymour.  Online condolences may be made at www.wakeleememorial.com.