Daily Sitka Sentinel

Services to be Held Aug. 20 For Alaskan John Monagle

John Parker Monagle

Former state trooper John Parker Monagle passed away on July 29, 2021. He was 90.

John was a lifelong Alaskan, with family dating back to the late 1800s in the Juneau area. A descendant of Irish immigrants, he was very proud of his Irish heritage.

John was born at St. Ann’s Hospital in Juneau to John and Mary Monagle on June 22, 1931. He attended Juneau High School, St. Martin’s in Lacey, Washington, and Gonzaga University in Spokane Washington.

John married Helen (Sari) on September 8, 1954. They raised six children in Alaska, living in Juneau, Fairbanks, Seward, and Sitka. John is survived by Sari and his children: John and spouse Verena; Mike and his spouse Marilyn;  daughter-in-law Becky; Chris and his wife Melanie, Theresa and her husband Mark (Nitschke); and Pat and his spouse Kari.

John also is survived by 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren, along with many cousins, nephews, and nieces. He was preceded in death by his son Kevin in September 2012, and his sister Joanne in July 2021.

John had a distinguished career in law enforcement, serving as an officer for the City of Juneau, in the U.S. Marshal Service, as a Territorial Police officer, as a State Police Officer, as an Alaska State Trooper, and finally as a regional coordinator for the Western States Information Network. He and his father, John Monagle Sr., were the first father and son combination in the Alaska State Troopers.

John served in Sitka from 1968 to 1975, arriving as a corporal when the Public Safety Academy was being established. He was promoted to sergeant in 1969, and in 1971 became a lieutenant and the academy commander.

He served next in Anchorage and then in Juneau. He retired in 1981.

A practicing Catholic, John was very involved in parish life at the Co-Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Juneau. He was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus, served on the board of Alaskans for Life, and was active in the Alaska Peace Officers Association, the Elks Lodge, the Moose Lodge, and numerous other regional, national, and international organizations.

A rosary for John will be held at the Co-Cathedral at 6 p.m. Friday, August 20.  A funeral service will be held at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, 9055 Atlin Drive, Juneau, at 10 a.m. Saturday, August 21, followed by a reception after Mass at the parish hall. Because of the heightened Covid-19 alert level in Juneau, the family respectfully asks that all attendees wear masks. For those who can’t attend in person, the service will be live-streamed, accessible from St. Paul’s Facebook page. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the renovation fund of the Co-Cathedral.