John Kavanagh

John Henry Kavanagh died on October 31, 2021 at his home in Arlington, Virginia with his wife by his side.  He was 72 years old.  He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Marianne, his sister Patricia Dellomo, her husband Anthony, their two sons, Andrew and Timothy and seven grandnieces with whom he shared invaluable wisdom within his final hours.  He will also be fondly remembered and missed by his brother-in-law Rev. John Mullin, S.J., sisters-in-law Susan Mullin, Barbara Mullin, Margaret Doerr and her husband Thomas Doerr, nephew Michael Doerr and nieces Barbara Lane and Jennifer Doerr.

 John was born in New York, graduated from Richmond College and then went on to complete studies at King's College London.  He married Marianne in 1972 and worked in the International Airline Industry for over a decade as an Executive Marketing and Sales Manager.  During this time he worked in various cities throughout the United States including Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and overseas in Saudi Arabia.

In 1984 he entered government service as a career Operations Officer for the Central Intelligence Agency.  Over the course of his career he served overseas traveling extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East.  Upon his return from overseas he worked in Washington D.C. on important issues of the day for U.S. decision makers.  He then relocated to work closely with the Joint Terrorism Task Force.  After his retirement in 2013, he worked as a consultant for the government. Additionally, John wrote analytical articles and book reviews for the publication Studies in Intelligence and received the “Studies in Intelligence Award Citation” numerous times for his contributions. 

John was a great patriot and most proud to have served his country for 37 years.  He is remembered as a wonderful coach and mentor to many of his colleagues and will be greatly missed.  In his personal life, John was a voracious reader of history, a New York Times crossword enthusiast, a birdwatcher, and a movie buff. He was a dedicated sports fan, especially when it came to his NY Yankees.

A Funeral Mass was offered by Rev. John Mullin, S.J. on December 11, 2021 at Saint Kilian Church in Farmingdale, New York, with burial at Saint Charles Cemetery.

Online condolences and memories may be offered to the family at Everly Funeral Home, www.everlycommunity.com.  Donations in John’s memory can be made to: The Jesuit Mission Bureau, 39 East 83 Street, New York, N.Y. 10028 (212-734-1144) and to: The Brian A. Dellomo Scholarship Foundation,  c/o Anthony Dellomo, contact 718-981-8215.

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