John Joseph Rafferty Sr.

John "Jack" Joseph Rafferty Sr., 92, passed away peacefully on May 3, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. He was born on September 8, 1932, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Henry and Katherine (Knapp) Rafferty. Jack briefly attended LaSalle University before proudly serving in the United States Army, where he was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1960.

While stationed at Camp Atterbury in Indiana, Jack met the love of his life, Shirley Ann Ryan. They were married on August 7, 1954, in Indianapolis and remained devoted to each other for more than 67 years until Shirley’s passing in 2022. Together, they built a beautiful life and raised five children, living in cities across the country, including Indianapolis, Fort Riley, Fort Sill, Arlington Heights, Mission (Kansas), and Dallas.

After his military service, Jack earned a degree from Butler University in 1961 through the GI Bill. He was a member of the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity and Phi Eta Sigma. He began his professional career with IBM and later joined a then-young company, Apple Computer, where he worked until his retirement in 1993.

Jack was a man of deep curiosity and enduring warmth. He loved history, card games, and, most of all, time spent with family and friends. He and Shirley shared a passion for travel, visiting more than 25 countries together. Their adventures began with a trip to Israel, Greece, and Italy in 1971 and continued with memorable cruises and visits around the world, including several cherished trips to Australia to see family.

Jack was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Shirley; his parents, Harry and Katherine; and his siblings Jane, Bill, Jim, and Nancy. He is survived by his sisters, Barbara and Kay; his children, Carole (Martin), Marilee, Susan, John Jr. (Gina), and Richard (Leslie); and his grandchildren, John III (Jake), Ally, Tay, and Aidan. He is also survived by his step-grandchildren, Carder (Blair) and Christian Nastri; his step-great-grandchildren, Nolan and Knox Nastri; and many loving nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and -nephews.

Services are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas in Jack’s memory.