Obituary of John McMonagle

John McMonagle, a long-time resident of Woodridge, NY, died on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at Elant in Goshen at the age of 99. John was born in Glasgow, Scotland on December 5, 1909, the eldest of five sons of Hannah McDevitt and James McMonagle. He lived in Scotland until the age of 16, at which time he emigrated to the United States. John served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Squad Leader Sgt. and participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy, France. He was wounded and earned a Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, American Service Medal, European African Middle Eastern Service Medal and Combat Infantry Badge for his bravery. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, James, Michael, Patrick and Denis, and is survived by his niece, Hannah McMonagle of Rocky River, OH; two great-nephews, Gregory and Daniel McMonagle-Wolfe; nephews: James, Bernard, John, Kevin and Michael McMonagle; niece, Elizabeth McMonagle; sister-in-law, Ellen McMonagle, all of Scotland; nieces, Maura Presly, Claire McMonagle and Hannah Guymer, all of England; 20 great-nieces and nephews in Scotland and England. He was a dear and devoted friend to the late Bernard Pitty Ruderman, Ruth Ruderman, Steve Ruderman and his family, Sue and Jay Kasofsky and their family, Seymour and Ruth Krieger and their family, Diane Krieger-Kohrman, Wendy Levinson and Mona Pohl. John was a selfless, gentle man whose life can be summed up by the following poem that he wrote: "Life spent on self is like the grain eaten, it disappears, there are no increases. A man may gather all he can for himself. He may live and plan and think, but his life passes away. And he has nothing, the law of self serving is the law of self destructing, so in human life to give is to live." A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated in John's honour on Friday, March 13, at 2 p.m., with Fr. John Tran officiating at St. Peter's Church, 10 Liberty St., Monticello, NY. Burial to follow at the Sullivan County Veterans Cemetery, Liberty, NY. Arrangements by VanInwegen-Kenny, Inc. Funeral Home, 401 Broadway, Monticello, NY; 845-794-4141. To send condolences or for directions, visit www.kennyfuneralhome.com.