John ""Jack"" Joseph Brennan

John Joseph ""Jack"" Brennan, 84, of Aurora, Colorado, died peacefully Wednesday, November 21, 2012, in the skilled nursing facility at St. Andrew's Village in Aurora, Colorado, surrounded by his loving family. Jack was born June 28, 1928, in Somerville, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Thomas and Sarah Brennan. At an early age he moved with his family to The Bronx, New York City, New York, where he met the love of his life, Florence Marie Thompson. They both graduated from St. Nicholas of Tolentine High School, and they married at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church in The Bronx on May 12, 1951. Jack attended Iona College before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1951. After completing Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, he served in the Korean Conflict, attaining the rank of 1st Lieutenant and earning numerous citations and commendations including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. After returning from Korea in 1953 Jack embarked on a long and successful career in sales and advertising, starting as a traveling salesman for General Foods and working in the initial startup of the Advertising Radio Bureau. In the early 1960s he joined WGN Continental Sales Company in New York, eventually rising to the position of national sales manager. In 1967 he was named vice president and national sales manager for WGN Continental Broadcasting Company and moved with his family to the Chicago area, home of the company's flagship WGN-TV, widely recognized as the nation's first television superstation. In 1975 Jack was named director of operations for the company's KWGN-TV Channel 2 in Denver and moved to Colorado, where he would reside for the next 36 years. During his tenure at KWGN Jack oversaw the move of the station from an old building in downtown Denver to a state-of-the-art broadcast facility in the Denver Tech Center area. Jack was well known for his sharp wit, his love of his family and his devotion to his wife. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Florence, of Aurora; his children, Claire Jeffries and her husband, Ray, and their sons Raymond and Sean, all of Maryland; Barbara Ball and her husband, James Ball, and their daughters, Shevon (Mike Porter) and Lauren (Troy Volanti) and Lauren's son, Gavin, all of Illinois; John Brennan Jr. and his wife, Julie, and their children David and Amanda, all of Fort Morgan, Colorado; and David Brennan and his wife, Suzanne, and their sons Jack and Frank, all of Englewood, Colorado; sister-in-law, Dolores Thompson of Bronxville, New York; a niece, Susan Thompson of Bronxville, New York; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Steven, Thomas, Sally, Patricia and Kathy. Cremation has taken place. A memorial gathering and celebration of Jack's life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 24, 2012 at St. Andrew's Village, 10381 East Yale Avenue in Aurora, Colorado. A private ceremony will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Please share your memories of Jack and condolences with his family by signing the guestbook below.