John McShane

John Patrick McShane Jr. age 68, of Glendale, California, passed away on Friday, April 14, 2023 at City of Hope in Duarte, California.
John was born on May 28, 1954 to John McShane Sr. and Catherine (Rudd) McShane in Louisville, Kentucky. As a child, he lived in the suburbs of Louisville, Philadelphia, Chicago and eventually Los Angeles. In his teenage years, John discovered what would turn into a life-long passion for horticulture by working at Treeland garden center in Woodland Hills, California. After graduating from El Camino Real High School in 1972, he went on to earn an Associate of Science in Ornamental Horticulture from Los Angeles Pierce College, a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics and Business Management from the University of California Davis, and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University.
In 1977, John began working at Stover Seed Company, slinging seed bags in the warehouse (prior to earning his MBA). His work at the company progressed into a nearly five-decade-long tenure with the business. John's dedication to the company was unmatched, and he continued working until his final days.
With 46 years in the seed industry – the totality of which he spent at Stover Seed – John was widely known and well-respected for his knowledge, experience, warm personality, and leadership within the seed trade and beyond.
Over the course of his prestigious career, John was an active member of many trade organizations and held leadership positions with the California Seed Association (president in 2002-2003), the Pacific Seedsmen Association (president in 2000), and the California Department of Food & Agriculture Seed Advisory Board (past president for multiple terms) to only name a few.
John's success in the seed industry transcended business. In 1983, while seeking an expert speaker on new bedding plants for the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the California Association of Nurseryman, John met his future wife of 38 years, Carol Sommer, a sales representative for Bodger Seed at the time.
John and Carol married in 1984 and went on to have two children, son John McShane III (J.P.) born in 1986, and daughter Shannon McShane born in 1989.
John was the epitome of a family man. He was a Boy Scout leader during J.P.’s scouting years and beyond, mentoring many young men through the ranks of Cub Scouts to Eagle Scouts – the organization’s highest achievement. He served as Troop 209's scoutmaster for four years and completed three Boy Scout High Adventure Camp trips with J.P., backpacking at Philmont Ranch in New Mexico, canoeing through the boundary waters in northern Minnesota and Canada, and sailing in the Bahamas.
John was an avid sports fan, serving as treasurer for the parochial baseball league and assistant coach for his kids’ many teams. He also coached J.P.’s city ball team, the red and gold-clad Scorpions. John’s love for Los Angeles sports began in his teenage years. He was a Dodgers season ticket holder starting in 1974 and would fondly recount attending games with his siblings and friends when tickets only cost $5. A long-time Los Angeles Kings fan, John and Shannon witnessed history in 2012 when they attended the team’s championship-clenching game and watched the Kings hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time.
John enjoyed time on the greens and participated in many industry golf tournaments. He introduced his children to the sport, frequented the driving range in his free time, and even went on a golfing holiday with several friends in Ireland.
John and Carol took the kids on many wonderful family vacations, including road trips to San Francisco, Idaho and the Grand Canyon; visits to family in Kentucky and Ohio; East Coast adventures to Washington D.C. and New England; and a spectacular European holiday to England, France and Northern Ireland where they stayed with John’s cousins on the generational family farm in County Armagh. In recent years, John and Carol enjoyed many road trips up the California Coast and Central Valley (part work, part pleasure), an Alaskan cruise, a Caribbean cruise, a Danube River Cruise, and trips to Hawaii to visit friends, to name a few.
Christmas and St. Patrick’s Day were his favorite holidays. On March 17, the house was full of Irish music, the smell of Irish brown bread, pints of Guinness, festive décor and often a party with friends.
Landscaping and gardening were passions of John’s. He never had a gardener, and he and Carol planted and maintained the landscaping at both their first home in Burbank, California and their second residence in Glendale, California.
John was diagnosed in March of 2022 with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer. He was a non-smoker and fought valiantly against the disease (the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.) until his final days.
John was predeceased by his mother, Catherine McShane. He is survived by his father John McShane Sr. of Morganfield, KY; wife Carol McShane of Glendale, CA; son J.P. McShane of Fort Lee, NJ; daughter Shannon McShane Robbins of Los Angeles, CA; brothers Mark McShane of Los Angeles, CA, Daniel McShane of Murfreesboro, TN, and Michael McShane of Las Vegas, NV; and sister Catherine Woodruff of Evansville, IN.
IN Lieu OF FLOWERS, If you would like to honor John, his family asks that you consider a donation in his name to lung cancer research at City of Hope by visiting this link:
https://ourhope.cityofhope.org/fundraiser/4625439
Your contribution will support ongoing lung cancer research and hopefully lead to a cure.
All who knew John are invited to celebrate his life with family, friends and colleagues.
VISITATION
Sunday, April 23
4:00-4:30 p.m. - Rosary
4:30-7:00 p.m. - Calling Hours
@ Angeleno Valley Mortuary
5423 Tujunga Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91601
Complimentary valet parking
FUNERAL MASS
Monday, April 24
10:00-11:00 a.m.
@ St. Francis Xavier Church
3801 Scott Rd, Burbank, CA 91504
Street parking only, then walk up the wide staircase to the church entrance.
For accessible parking, please see the attendant.