John "Jack" T Gagan

John Thomas “Jack” Gagan, 69, of Auburn, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, December 26, 2020 at Upstate Community Hospital. Jack was born in Auburn on May 8, 1951. 

Jack graduated from Central High School with the Class of 1969. He attended Auburn Community College and worked for a number of years at TRW. He enjoyed working with his hands, building and fixing things around the house. Always deeply musical, Jack played guitar and bass with a local band, Red Lemon, in the late ‘60s and early '70s and remained a lover of local music for the rest of his life. He could lose himself for hours in any record store, bookstore or library. An enthusiastic supporter of all the arts, he would journey long distances just to browse his favorite museums. Jack was passionate about theatre, books and movies, and the ideas behind them. He was drawn to nature and gardens, especially the Cornell Botanic Gardens in Ithaca. Above all, though, he loved the time that he spent with his family. The man affectionately known to his nieces and nephews as “Uncle Jacket” will be dearly missed.

Jack is survived by his loving mother, Patricia Englert Gagan; his siblings, Patricia Jensen, Diane (Clyde) Howard, Maureen Cheney, Lisa (John) Luczycki, Thomas (Darlene) Gagan, and Molly (Joseph) Goss. He was a beloved uncle to 17 nieces and nephews and 14 grand nieces and nephews. 

Jack was predeceased by his father, John W. Gagan, and his brother-in-law, David Cheney. 

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, services will be held at a later date. Arrangements are with White Chapel Funeral Home, Auburn. To leave condolences for the family, please visit whitechapelfh.com

Donations in Jack's memory may be made to Auburn Public Theater, 8 Exchange St., Auburn, NY 13021 or Unity House, 217 Genesee St., Suite 14, Auburn, NY 13021.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John "Jack" T Gagan, please visit our floral store.