Obituary of John W. Ahern

South Plainfield-John W. Ahern, 91, formerly of Dunellen and South Plainfield, died Friday March 2, 2018 at Whispering Knoll Assisted Living in Edison. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, John served with the Army Air Corps from 1944-1946 during WWII. John moved to Edison, NJ to begin his long career in education with the Edison Board of Education. He was a fifth grade teacher at Stelton School. He then became the first principal of Benjamin Franklin School. He later served as principal of Woodbrook School until his retirement. John had many interests. He was a State Champion archer with the Wax O Be archery club in South Brunswick. He was also an amateur magician, specializing in close up magic and card tricks. John was an avid model railroad enthusiast. Throughout his life, John loved animals, especially dogs. After moving into Whispering Knoll Assisted Living, John enjoyed visiting kindergarten students at Martin Luther King School in Edison where he read stories to the students. John is predeceased by his wife Angela. He is survived by his two children, daughter Margie Gumina and her husband Rick of South Plainfield and son John T. Ahern of East Windsor; grandchildren Ricky, Kristi, and daughter in law Christina Gumina, John and Joseph Ahern, his granddogs Tonka and Brody Gumina, and his many nieces and nephews. Friends and Family may gather on Tuesday March 6 from 4-8 pm at McCriskin-Gustafson Home for Funerals, 2425 Plainfield Avenue South Plainfield, NJ 07080. Funeral services will begin on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at 9 am in the McCriskin-Gustafson Home for Funerals, followed by a 10 am funeral mass at Sacred Heart Church, South Plainfield. Entombment will follow in Resurrection Burial Park, Piscataway. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105.