Remembering Jack Kilroy: A Legacy of Advocacy and Community Service

Jack Kilroy passed away on Saturday, May 11th, with his family by his side. His passing leaves a significant void in our hearts.

Born on November 12, 1952, John Patrick (Jack) Kilroy was the son of John Benedict Kilroy and Mary Kilroy (née Ward), both deceased. He was the beloved husband of Suzana Figueira, father of Sean Kilroy, and stepfather of Nicholas Hahn (Amanda). He is also survived by his siblings Mary Jo Kilroy (Bob Handelman), Retta Furlan (Patrick), Liz Kilroy (Paco Hernandez), and Marty Kilroy (Denise).

Jack was an outstanding community, labor, and political organizer. From his early days at Ohio University organizing student workers to his retirement years raising funds and support for various causes, Jack’s impact was far-reaching. His local, national, and even international renown skyrocketed in October 1977 when, as a third-year law student, he attended the dedication ceremony for his law school’s new building in Cleveland, Ohio. During the event, he famously asked the guest of honor, a young Prince Charles III, when the British government would stop torturing political prisoners in Northern Ireland. This question led to audience groans and Jack’s immediate,

albeit temporary, arrest by federal officials. Despite the controversy, it was a resounding and widely heard question that garnered global attention.

Jack supported organized labor and was an attorney for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), which was then struggling to bring Campbell Soup Company to the negotiating table with farm workers in northwest Ohio. His advocacy continued even after he was brutally injured by sheriff’s deputies from Putnam County, Ohio, during a Labor Day recruitment event in 1979. Despite such challenges, FLOC eventually secured a regional contract considered a model in the farm labor movement, earning the organization a long-overdue AFL-CIO charter.

Jack’s advocacy work was often less dramatic than his notable encounters with Prince Charles and the Putnam County deputies. A native of Euclid, Ohio, he attended Holy Cross Elementary School, St. Joseph High School, and graduated from Palos Verdes High School in California. He earned a degree in English from Ohio University and graduated from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1978. After law school, he moved to Toledo to work for FLOC and later returned to Cleveland to practice law, work for the United Labor Agency, and serve a west side community development corporation.

In 1994, Jack moved to Lorain County, Ohio, where he founded the Grassroots Leadership Development Program (GLDP), which recruited and trained local non-profit leaders and helped establish new charitable efforts. 

He also served three terms as a councilperson at large on the Avon City Council. In 2002, he resumed practicing law and continued his work in local Democratic politics.

From 2005, Jack worked as the Special Projects Coordinator for Lorain County Auditor Mark R. Stewart, representing the Auditor on the Board of Revision, defending appeals, reviewing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) applications, and analyzing property records for predatory lending and fraudulent “property flipping” patterns.

In 2009, Governor Strickland appointed Jack to the Great Lakes Protection Fund, a nonprofit corporation addressing regional ecological issues affecting the Great Lakes. Jack also consulted for and served on numerous local boards and committees, including the Lorain County Democratic Party Finance and Executive Committees, Avon Democratic Club, Ohio Forum Editorial Board, Lorain County Free Clinic Board Governance Committee, and more.

Jack was involved in the local music and theater scene, writing and producing a play set during the Easter Rising entitled Easter 1916 through Song and Story. He helped bring Irish musical acts to the U.S., navigating immigration issues and working permits for groups like Dreams of Freedom and The Druids.

In 2016, Jack became a magistrate in the Lorain County Domestic Relations Court, appointed by Judge Sherry Glass to hear cases in the Family Division. He also supported KinderUSA, a charity aiding children in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, and was proud of his work with the RISE Foundation in Ireland, which supports families in crisis due to addiction.

Jack founded and staffed the non-profit Sober Seventeenth, organizing an annual, alcohol-free Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. A serious student of Irish history and culture, he enjoyed trips to Brazil and Ireland, connecting with friends and relatives.

Later in life, Jack became an avid online puzzler and word game player, sharing his Wordle achievements with friends on Facebook. His commitment to fairness and justice led to significant improvements in the world.

Jack was a true and deeply loyal friend. Arrangements are being made through Chambers Funeral Homes. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Jack’s life at the West Side Irish American Club on Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 2:00 PM, with fellowship and music to follow.

West Side Irish American Club
8559 Jennings Road,
Olmsted Township, Ohio 44138

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Farm Labor Organizing Committee at www.floc.com or Wellity Education at www.wellityeducation.com.