Obituary of John P. Duffy

John P. Duffy, 87, of Freehold Township passed away on Monday, June 1, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and the wonderful staff at CentraState Oncology.  Jack was born on November 12, 1938 in the Forty Acres section of Wilmington, Delaware.  He graduated from St. Ann’s Grade School in June of 1952 and was also a member of the last graduating class from the old Salesianum High School Class of 1956 where he lettered in football, basketball, track and golf.  Jack went on to fulfill his dream of becoming the first member of his family to graduate from college and earned a BS in Accounting from the University of Delaware Class of 1960 in which he was a member of the Blue Hens Golf Team.  Upon graduation from the University of Delaware, he received his commission as a 2^nd LT in the United States Army and also served in the United States Army Reserves from 1961 until 1968 achieving the rank of Captain.

Jack worked for Bendix Aviation, Teterboro, NJ and Phoenix Steel, Claymont, DE before he began his professional career with General Motors in 1961 at the Wilmington Assembly Plant.  He went on to serve GM in Detroit, Memphis and Linden, NJ and retired from the GM Assembly Plant in 1998 as Comptroller after 38 years of service.  Not one to be idle, Jack began a second career with On-Board Engineering Corp. and served as CFO from 1998 until he retired, again, in June of 2016.

He was always very active in serving the community, particularly in Freehold Township, his hometown since 1974.  Jack coached Freehold Township Little League, basketball and soccer for many years and he always cherished his inaugural soccer season as coach of the “Duffins”.   He was also very proud of the title he earned early in his coaching career as “Chief Agitator & Antagonist” of all referees of all sports in the State of NJ.  Jack served as a member of the Finance Committee of St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church from 1974 through 2013, was a trustee of the Parish, a Eucharistic Minister and an active member of the Hagie’s Historical Society.  Some of his proudest moments with St. Robert’s were his instrumental role in the construction of the first Parish Center for St. Robert’s, and then again when he played a key role on the development of the new St. Robert Bellarmine Church, now the Co-Cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Trenton.    

Jack’s greatest pleasures were spending quiet times at home with his wife, Gerry who taught him what love really meant, following his three children’s soccer teams (Go Falcons), benching his daughter Karen for scoring six goals in first half of one game, crazy times in Dewey and Rehoboth with his wife, children and grandchildren, and knocking around the little white ball with all takers that permit “Mulligans.”

He also thoroughly enjoyed his lifelong friendships with his old buddies, Joe Lucey, Jerry Horgan, Mike Shaw and John Morris, the friends he grew up with and spent many hours with them in the Logan House, Haggies, Bottle & Cork and other thirst parlors in Wilmington and Rehoboth.  Jack especially loved his youthful days growing up in the Forty Acres and exploring the wonders of Rockford Park and the Brandywine River. 

He lived life to its fullest, felt everyday was a gift and a blessing, and tried to share those feelings with all the people he encountered.  Jack gave all the credit for any of his “good deeds” to his wife, parents, the Nuns at St. Ann’s School and the Priests at Sallies.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 60 years, Geraldine B. “Gerry” Duffy in 2024; parents, Manus C. Duffy and Winifred Duffy in 1960 and 1973 respectively; his sisters, Winnie Rhoades in 2004 and Mary Jo Maucher in 2005; and his brother, Marty in 2015.  Jack is survived by his daughter, Karen A. Duffy; his sons, Kevin J. Duffy and John P. Duffy, Jr., and his wife, Sue; John Jr.’s children, Tyler and Brendan and stepchildren, Charlotte and Jack.  He is also survived by his brother, Manus C. Duffy, Jr.; his brothers-in-law, Kenny Rhoades and Bill Horgan; and sister-in-law, Nancy Duffy.  In addition, Jack is survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins in the US and across the pond in County Sligo, Ireland.

Visitation will be held at the Clayton & McGirr Funeral Home, 100 Elton-Adelphia Road (Route 524), Freehold Township on Tuesday, June 9, 2026 from 4:00 to 8:00 PM.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend his 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold Township.  Entombment will follow in St. Rose of Lima Catholic Cemetery, 299 Freehold-Englishtown Road, Freehold Township.  For those that cannot attend in person, the family invites you to participate via webcast HERE.  For those who desire, memorial contributions in Jack’s name may be made to the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine, 61 Georgia Road, Freehold, NJ 07728 or Salesianum High School, 1801 North Broom Street, Wilmington, DE 19802.  For information, directions or to leave condolence messages to the family, please visit www.claytonfuneralhome.com.