Obituary of John L. Colish

John L. Colish, age 94 of Stratford, CT, beloved husband to the late Catherine O’Reilly Colish, passed away on April 7, 2020. Born in Starford, Green Township, PA, and raised in Linden, NJ, John was the son to the late John and Helen (Liptak) Colish. John was a United States Navy Veteran, having proudly served aboard the USS Yorktown during World War II. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, John earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Pace University and a Master’s from Rutgers University. After marriage, John spent most of his life residing in Potsdam, NY. He benefited the north country community as a small business owner; he also was a university librarian and worked for the U.S. Postal Service. John took great pleasure in woodworking, reading, and being a Ham Radio operator. A devout Catholic, John most recently worshiped at Our Lady of Grace in Stratford. John’s memory will be cherished by his loving daughter, Kathleen White and her husband, Chris of NY; granddaughter, Nia White; sister, Christine Pytlowany of Manahawkin, NJ; brother Bob Colish of Linden, NJ; sister in-law, Carol Smith of Westfield, NJ; nieces and nephews, Jeffery and Sandi Colish, Rob Colish, Doug Colish, Kevin and Donna Colish, Betsy and Jon Penrose. Due to the current circumstances a private interment was held at St. Gertrude Cemetery, NJ. A public memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association 225 N. Michigan Avenue Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601 or American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478 Oklahoma City, OK 73123. To sign his online guest register book or for future service details please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com.