March 2021

My family lost our patriarch, John M. Elliott, suddenly last week.  

In the days since his passing, our large, loud Irish clan is boisterously and constantly sharing stories of the beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather. 

Here is my mere mortal attempt at finding the words to describe the man who was so full of life. 

Uncle John made our family history a focal point in all of our lives. Constantly searching for missing pieces of our family’s journey from Ireland to America. Our family historian. These efforts will be doubled in his honor from the appreciation of our roots he instilled in us. 

A skilled lawyer, Uncle John was wickedly smart and crafted arguments and briefs with precision. Coal miner’s blood in his veins, he fought tirelessly for workers and for the wrongfully accused. He won a posthumous pardon for Jack Kehoe, a member of the Molly Maguires hanged in 1878.

He did so much with his time on this earth, giving his time and talent to those he loved and respected.

Uncle John was generous with his time, although not always punctual. He was constantly snail-mailing relevant newspaper clippings, photos, and postcards from his many travels I think he single-handedly saved the USPS.

Every weekend was filled to the brim with his grandchildren’s sporting events. With camera in hand, he was every team’s unofficial photographer. Printing photos for other players and their families. And providing our family with innumerable memories preserved eternally. 

All hours of the day, he was on the phone. Calling you to ask what the Yankees score was or telling you a joke while laughing through the punchline or notifying you a John Wayne movie was showing. 

His iconic ringtone, the Notre Dame fight song, was one for the ages. I vividly remember sitting in mass one Sunday and hearing the Notre Dame Marching Band start up from the opposite side of the church. I saw a Hawaiian shirt swiftly get up from the pew and answer “Aloha” as the door swung behind him. 

I read the word aloha in his voice. Always will. Unsure of how this became his signature greeting but it’s seems appropriate to close out these thoughts. Aloha is the Hawaiian way of treating each other with love and respect. Aloha is so much more than a greeting or parting, it’s a way of life. Uncle John was so much more than the words used above to describe him. It’s like he knew all along. 

Aloha.