John Francis Carroll

John Francis Carroll, JD, passed away peacefully in his home in San Pedro on December 7, 2023. He was the youngest of four children, born June 3, 1929 in Belfast, Ireland. John was what the Irish call a shanachie—an incurable storyteller with fantastic tales of places he’d been, things he’d seen, and people he’d met. He often liked to say he’d “come a long way from Seaforde Street,” and it was never far from his heart. He took his young family back to Ireland often and was known to regain some of his brogue after visiting, storytelling and singing in the pub with family and friends.

John’s father emigrated to Brooklyn, New York, with the rest of the family following seven years later when John was eight years old. Growing up in Brooklyn, John was hard-working, scrappy and enterprising, seeking any type of employment to help the family. While still in his teens he ran away to sea as a merchant seaman, completing his high school equivalency via correspondence school.

He became a Third Mate in the United States Merchant Marine and Lieutenant (junior grade) Intelligence Officer in the United States Navy, spending over a decade on the water and accumulating a lifetime of sea stories. His trips took him from the western coast of Africa to the Panama Canal, but it was while sailing into the San Pedro harbor at 16 that he pointed to Palos Verdes and declared, “I’m going to live there one day.”

John met his first wife Sheila at a dance in Brooklyn in 1952. She was a Wall Street elevator operator and fellow émigré from Liverpool, England; they married in 1953. The honeymoon was its own fantastic tale: John and Sheila visited Quebec as guests of the city on a trip paid for by the local radio station after John apprehended a neighborhood burglar.

They prioritized education, sacrificing much so their children could have the lives they never had. John could be found at the kitchen table many nights reviewing his children’s homework and encouraging them to “just do your best.” John and Sheila would have five children before her death in 1983.

As the family grew, they moved to California where John worked various jobs before taking a college equivalency examination and acting on his dream of becoming a lawyer.

He worked two jobs during the day and attended Southwestern Law School at night, with four young children who sometimes slept beside him on piled mailbags in his car during early morning deliveries. His hard work was rewarded with his JD in 1963, admission to the California State Bar in 1964, and subsequent admissions to Federal Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.

John had an innate sense of fairness and fought hard for his clients, earning respect from both his community and grudging counterparts who sometimes tried to recruit him to their firms. He was a trial attorney for thirty years and a lifetime member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. He was also an accomplished mediator and arbitrator, appointed as a Special Master in Federal Court and presided over complex cases across the US, London, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

John never forgot his humble beginnings and did his best to assist others throughout his life. His generosity extended to local organizations, especially those whose life experiences echoed his own. He became chief referee when his sons played AYSO soccer, and later was a key supporter of the Boys and Girls Club of San Pedro. He was instrumental in creating and teaching in the paralegal program at El Camino College, and for many years sponsored a scholarship at Southwestern Law School to be awarded for law students working full time with no fewer than four children. He also helped incorporate the Sisters of Charity of Rolling Hills, supporting them over a more than 50-year relationship.

He met Marcia in 2002, marrying her in 2007. They loved to explore California and its surrounding states together on long scenic drives, with a particular fondness for the coast. At home they regularly hosted family get-togethers and boisterous St. Patrick’s Day parties on their balcony overlooking John’s beloved San Pedro Harbor. Slaintè!

John’s love for his family was very important to him and his greatest gift to us. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, and remained very close with family members in Ireland, New York and across the world.

John is survived by his wife Marcia; children Kathleen Putzulu (Anthony), Paula Carroll (Len Casanega), Denise Latty (Ted), and Michael Carroll (Emerald); grandchildren Justin, Olivia and David Massaro, Breana Latty, Matthew Putzulu (Abby), and John “Eian” Francis Carroll III; and Marcia’s daughter Audrey (Christine). He is predeceased by his first wife Sheila Carroll and his son John “Sean” Francis Carroll II.

A funeral Mass will be held Thursday, January 4, 2024, at 10:00 am, at Holy Trinity Church (1292 W. Santa Cruz Street, San Pedro) followed by graveside services at Green Hills Cemetery (27501 S Western Ave, Rancho Palos Verdes).

In lieu of flowers, donations are welcomed for the Sisters of Charity of Rolling Hills, the Boys and Girls Club of San Pedro, and the Covenant House.

The family is gathering stories and memories from those who knew John. If you have one you would like to share, please send it to johncarrollstories@gmail.com .