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John “Jack” Shugrue

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Birth	:	27 Oct 1880 Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
Death	:	26 Sep 1960 Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
Burial	:	Saint Joseph Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.5493813, -72.0536728
Description	:	Jack used to joke that he "only went to school for one day." He went to St. Patrick's School in Norwich in the early grades, and he was an altar boy at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He quit school about the sixth grade and learned the trade of being a cigar maker. He was practicing this profession in 1900 and 1910 while continuing to live with his father and was active in the local cigar maker's union. He liked to tell the story of a cigar shop in which he worked. The owner had a pretty daughter who came in... Read More	Jack used to joke that he "only went to school for one day." He went to St. Patrick's School in Norwich in the early grades, and he was an altar boy at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He quit school about the sixth grade and learned the trade of being a cigar maker. He was practicing this profession in 1900 and 1910 while continuing to live with his father and was active in the local cigar maker's union. He liked to tell the story of a cigar shop in which he worked. The owner had a pretty daughter who came in once in awhile, and Jack eventually arranged a date with her. However, her family found Jack an objectionable suitor for their daughter, and the following day Jack's employer told him that he liked Jack's work but that he would fire Jack if Jack ever went out with his daughter again. Jack saw the girl secretly a second time, but the meeting was discovered and the employer, true to his word, fired Jack. Jack was still a cigar maker years later when he was introduced to a Willimantic girl named Abigail Agnes Fogarty at a Norwich dance. He married Abbie in 1914. Jack was a sociable man, and the good-natured nonchalance with which he had risked that job followed him through life. During World War I, he worked as a guard at the Marlin-Rockwell Corp., manufacturer of machine guns and ball bearings. After the war, many of Jack's fellow guards joined the police force. Jack did not, telling his wife that he was afraid that as a policeman he might have to arrest some of his friends. He returned to cigar making and was president of the local union in 1921. However, automation was making it hard for cigar makers, and machine-made cigars eventually put Jack out of work. He worked for awhile as a millhand. But Jack had a really tough time holding a job during the Depression. He was devastated about not being able to find work. He signed up for municipal work and would occasionally get work for a day with very little pay. One day his son Joe answered the door and a policeman named Luke Riley asked to speak to Jack. Jack wasn’t home, so the policeman told Joe to tell Jack to get in touch with him as soon as possible. “You’ve got to do it right away,” Riley said. Riley had heard of a job as an elevator operator at the Thayer Building and told Jack to apply for it. Jack was hired at the Thayer Bulding and absolutely loved that job, and everyone at the Thayer Building loved Jack. It was the ideal job for Jack, tailor-made for him with his kind and gentle good humor. And getting a job, in those days, was like getting pure gold. Jack was so devoted to the job that his family joked that he thought the Thayer Building would fall over if he wasn't there to run the elevator every day. He held the job until he retired, four years before his death. According to his son Joe, "There was no one in Norwich more popular than my father." As a boy Joe would go on walks with his father, and it would take forever because they would stop and talk to everyone along the way. They would go to a diner and his father would buy himself a cup of coffee and buy Joe a piece of pie. The family moved to 4 Washington place about 1942 when Jack's son, Joe, was a teenager. It was a hectic and trying move. It took a lot to get the possessions organized enough to at least settle into the new place that night. "We looked around for my father," said Joe, "in the midst of all this confusion. And - God bless him - there he was oiling the hinges on the garage door. And we didn't even own a car!" But oiling hinges was something Jack knew perfectly well how to do, while he really didn't know where to begin in storing and organizing the household possessions. Ever after, Joe used the phrase "oiling the hinges on the garage door" to refer, with gentle humor, to people who had gotten side-tracked from the task at hand. At the time of his death, Jack was a member of the Holy Name Society of St. Mary’s Church, Norwich. He was also a life member of the Norwich Lodge of Elks. Bishop Vincent J. Hines presided at his funeral Mass at St. Mary's Memorial Church, and Bishop John F. Hackett occupied a seat in the sanctuary. The celebrant was Jack's son, Rev. John T. Shugrue. Also present in the sanctuary were - all of them priests - a deacon, sub-deacon, thurifer, two acolytes, two chaplains of Bishop Hines, and two chaplains of Bishop Hackett. Thirty-nine priests were present, and the pall bearers were all members of John's lodge, Local Order of Elks #430.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is John “Jack” Shugrue's memorial?
John “Jack” Shugrue's memorial is located at: Saint Joseph Cemetery, Norwich, New London County, USA.
When did John “Jack” Shugrue death?
John “Jack” Shugrue death on 26 Sep 1960 in Norwich, New London County, Connecticut, USA
Where are the coordinates of the John “Jack” Shugrue's memorial?
Latitude: 41.5493813
Longitude: -72.0536728

Family Members:

Parent

John Shugrue

(unknow - 1911)

Ellen Connell Shugrue

(unknow - 1894)

Spouse

Abigail Agnes “Abbie” Fogarty Shugrue

(1887 - 1983)

Siblings

Patrick “Patsy” Shugrue

(1872 - 1952)

Margaret Shugrue

(1876 - 1947)

Annie Shugrue

(1883 - 1918)

Children

Rev John Thomas Shugrue

(1916 - 1988)

James F “Bud” Shugrue

(1918 - 2011)

Mary Gertrude Shugrue

(1921 - 2005)

Joseph Noel “Joe” Shugrue

(1925 - 2015)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Saint Joseph Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5493813, -72.0536728

2. Saint Marys Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5483017, -72.0539017

3. Miantonomo Monument
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5493420, -72.0514723

4. Chief Miantinoi Gravesite
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5494660, -72.0514260

5. Norwich Jewish Fraternal Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5456696, -72.0519028

6. IOBA Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5454990, -72.0521200

7. Brothers of Joseph Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5453100, -72.0512900

8. Sacred Heart Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5577583, -72.0750427

9. Hickory Street Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5317001, -72.0607986

10. Hamilton Avenue Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5309906, -72.0490723

11. Long Society Congregational Burying Ground
Preston, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5343420, -72.0353730

12. Guiles Cemetery
Preston, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5399361, -72.0222473

13. Norwich City Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5273018, -72.0717621

14. Royal Mohegan Burial Ground
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5350920, -72.0847540

15. Yantic Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5402985, -72.0907974

16. Old Norwichtown Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5483818, -72.0930862

17. Ray-Yerrington Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5791359, -72.0628891

18. Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery (Defunct)
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5268480, -72.0823630

19. Norwich Alms House Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5301700, -72.0915020

20. Ames Cemetery
Lisbon, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5796585, -72.0274124

21. Palmer Cemetery
Preston, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5524310, -72.0034540

22. Bentley-Sholes Cemetery
Preston, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5107613, -72.0581284

23. Founders Cemetery
Norwich, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5512800, -72.1056210

24. Norwich Hebrew Benevolent Association Cemetery #4
Preston, New London County, USA
Coordinate: 41.4966672, -72.0482458