John “Jack” McNamara

John J. McNamara, age 84, a longtime resident of Clifton, and formerly of Passaic, passed away peacefully with loving family by his side, on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.

The youngest of Joseph and Julia (Conally) McNamara’s four sons, Jack, as he was commonly known, was born and raised in Passaic, NJ.

It was in Passaic that Jack attended and graduated from Pope Pius High School with the Class of 1957. After high school, he began a career in banking and finance where he would remain throughout his entire career. Most recently and most notably, he ascended to the office of Assistant Vice President with Valley National Bank and later Vice President and Marketing Director with Lakeland Bank.

A man whose life was marked by demonstrated service to numerous professional and philanthropic organizations, Jack volunteered his time and offered his expertise in the Passaic County Bankers Association, as a member of the New Jersey Bankers Association Public Relations Committee, as President and Member of the Board of Governors of the American Institute of Banking (A.I.B), as Chairman of the Finance Committee of St. Nicholas R.C. Church, President of the Passaic Jaycees, Director and Chairman of the United Way of Passaic Valley Northern Communities Division, member of the Bloomingdale Chamber of Commerce, Vice Chairman of the Inter-Service Club Council of Passaic, member of the Advisory Board and Treasurer of the Salvation Army,

member of the Knights of Columbus and Boy Scouts of America Sustaining Membership Drives Committee, and member of the Little Falls and Butler Rotary Clubs.

In addition to volunteering in all of these endeavors, Jack also served his country in the United States Army.

In his spare time, Jack enjoyed playing golf in his younger years, meticulously tending to his lawn and flower gardens, keeping up with the latest news by reading the newspaper from cover to cover every day, and cheering on any team that was playing the New York Yankees. As a longtime parishioner of St. Nicholas R.C. Church in Passaic and in more recent years at St. Philip R.C. Church in his hometown of Clifton, Jack’s faith was a foundational part of his life, guiding him to be the fine man that he was. 

Jack’s generosity knew no bounds. Just ask his nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews what it was like when Uncle Jack showed up for Christmas with literally piles of presents for each of them. He was also known to leave snacks for the mail carrier and the garbage man, and to help his neighbors with anything they’d ask for. And when it came to giving to charity, Jack had a whole host of charitable organizations that were regular recipients of his caring generosity.

Jack had a great sense of humor too. Whenever you saw him, he was always ready to share the latest joke he had recently heard. Jack was a kind man whose life was a blessing to all who had the privilege of having known him.  

Jack was the loving son of his late parents, Joseph and Julia McNamara; dearest brother of the late Joseph McNamara, Eugene and his wife Margaret McNamara of Wayne, and the late Henry McNamara and his wife Joan of Wyckoff; and dear uncle and great uncle of numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great nephews. 

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In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Jack’s name are asked to consider:

St. JudeChildren’s Research Hospital

Memorial Processing

501 St. Jude Place

Memphis, TN 38105-9959