John "Jake" Joseph Brennan

John “Jake” Joseph Brennan, 95, of Winfield passed away Monday, April 26, 2021 at his home, surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. Monday, May 3 at the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Winfield. Interment will follow at the Winfield Veterans’ Cemetery. The family will greet friends at the funeral home from 5-6 P.M. Sunday, May 2. Attendees are asked to please wear a mask. Memorial contributions may be made to the Southwestern College Athletic Department, contributions may be left in care of the Shelley Family Funeral Home.

Jake was born August 15, 1925 in Shenandoah, PA to Joseph and Bertha (Kiewlak) Brennan. He graduated from high school in 1944. He served in the Navy during WWII on a submarine tender, the USS Fulton in the Pacific Theatre from 1944-1946. Jake came to Winfield in 1946 to play football at Southwestern College and was on the championship team that year. He graduated in 1950 with a bachelor’s degree. On June 25, 1950 he married Elaine Baird, they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary last summer. The couple moved to Elk Falls where Jake taught and coached for 2 years, they then moved to Dexter for 4 years.

In 1956 they moved back to Winfield and he went to work at the U.S. Postal Service, Jake carried mail for 30 years and retired in 1985. He coached church league basketball and Babe Ruth and American Legion baseball. From 1966-1975 he was an assistant coach at Southwestern, and after retiring from the post office he delivered flowers for Donna’s Designs until 2005. Jake loved all sports, going fishing, picking up and cracking pecans, He was also a member of Grace United Methodist Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Edward Brennan and sister Helen Pavlosky. Jake is survived by his wife Elaine Brennan, children: Alan Brennan (Cathe), Cindy Kearns (Eddie), and Deb Brennan; grandchildren: Andy Brennan (Jennifer), Ethan Brennan (Sarah), Cassidae Brennan, Jason Kearns (Scott), and Molly Smith (Jeff); great-grandchildren: Rylee, Addison, Brennan, Graham, and Caroline.

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