John Joseph Musselman, Jr.

John Joseph Musselman, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, passed away in his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on October 27th, 2022. 

John was born in Riverside, New Jersey, on December 20th, 1926 to John Joseph Musselman and Kathyrn Haas. John’s father owned a diner in Watertown, New York where he also sold home-made chocolates. John’s mother was the county chair of the Democratic Party in her hometown (four years after women won the right to vote) and also founded a woman’s business council in Watertown. John’s mother died just days after giving birth to him, so he was raised for his first three years by his mother’s sister, Elizabeth in New Jersey, while his father ran the family diner in Watertown. When he was three John joined his father and older brother, Francis, in Watertown, and then his father remarried and had five more children. John grew up with his large Catholic family in Watertown, one with three girls and four boys.

From a young age John worked in his father’s diner and then went to the Immaculate Heart Academy in Watertown for high school. When he was 16 years-old, John enlisted in the Navy and trained as a fighter pilot, and World War II ended before he received his first assignment. Returning to Watertown, John attended Hamilton College in Clinton, NY, traveling home on weekends and in the summer to work at his family’s diner. He graduated from Hamilton in 1947 with a BA in Economics and German, and then returned to the family diner to work full-time to repay his parents for paying for his college education.

It was at the diner in Watertown where his high school classmate Jack Galloway introduced his cousin, Mary Claire Donahue, to John, by taking her to the diner where John worked. John and Mary subsequently dated (and John pointed out Mary stopped seeing other suitors) and were married in Watertown on July 5, 1952. In Watertown they bought their first house (with cash), and had their first two children, Elizabeth Ann and Thomas Edward.

John started a career spanning more than 40 years, beginning in Watertown, financing kitchen appliances, cars, car dealerships, home mortgages, and commercial real estate, with General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC, now Ally Financial). John’s work ethic from years at the diner prepared him to ascend quickly up the ranks at GMAC, and he did so moving with his wife and growing family from Watertown to Syracuse, New York (where Jack Donahue was born) to Long Island, New York (where Francis Paul and Mark Peter were born) to Moorestown, New Jersey (where Stephen Joseph was born), stopping next in Park Ridge, New Jersey and retiring as a GMAC Vice President in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After living in Michigan for a few more years, John and Mary retired to Scottsdale, Arizona to live on a golf course, as golf was one of John’s favorite hobbies.

William Lovejoy, John's mentee and future GMAC President, had this to say about John when he learned of his passing: "In a nutshell John was “hard but fair,” he valued principle, hard work, people, and opportunities for those who earned their stripes on the job. John mentored me, was not above association with underlings, commanded loyalty, respect and integrity. He was the best boss I ever had in GM and that in itself speaks volumes as I have worked for Presidents, CEO’s, the Chairman, and Vice Chairman of GM. He loved his family, his faith, his friends. He continued learning and teaching others things they needed to know for success. You could always discuss issues with John in confidence, and he was able to work behind the scene to correct them. The dealers who knew John loved his integrity, his fairness, and his ability to help them perform better."

Roger Penske, who started his career working with John at GMAC, had this to say when he learned John had passed away: "So sorry to hear the passing of your Dad. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.  John became a great friend of mine in the early days as a Chevy dealer in Philadelphia. He was instrumental in helping me finance and build my business. Tough guy, but underneath a real partner."

John was once asked, as part of an interview for a more executive position at GMAC, about his four top priorities. The interviewer expected to hear “Company, company, company, company.” However, John, a man of integrity and principle, replied “God, family, country, company,”—and he then lost him that position. Just the same, no one who knew John was surprised by how that story turned out.

John was a lifelong Catholic, who attended Mass nearly daily. His Catholic faith grounded his life and vision at home, as an American and as a corporate executive.

John was also a lifelong Republican, only voting twice in Presidential elections for Democrats. The first time was for FDR’s last term in office (telling his family “That was a mistake!”) and the second time crossing party lines to vote for Hillary Clinton instead of Donald Trump (and we can imagine him saying “Hillary’s Vice-Presidential candidate is Catholic, and, well Trump is…”)

John was most proud of his wife and children, and quite fond of saying that he was the least educated person in his family. To anyone who would listen, he would the brag about their academic accomplishments and note they graduated from some of the best colleges in the US. Even when his friends might grow tired of hearing it, John would repeat that he helped his family earn seven BA’s, four JD’s, four MA’s, one MBA and one PhD.

John would also add that he did pretty well for himself with only a BA from Hamilton, as nearly all of his GMAC colleagues had graduate degrees in business or law. John would then suggest that the rigor of his Hamilton College education prepared him well for his successful career, which is just one reason he would be an avid Hamilton benefactor his entire adult life.

Another reason he was such a strong Hamilton booster was that John’s father, two of his brothers, many nieces and nephews, two of his sons, and one grandson also graduated from Hamilton. To his other children who went elsewhere to college, John would sometimes quip “I guess you couldn’t cut the mustard at Hamilton.”

His greatest treasures in life are his children Elizabeth (Betsy), Thomas (Tom), John (Jack), Jo Ellen, Mark, Francis (Fran), and Stephen (Steve) Musselman, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. While John and Mary lived in New York, New Jersey and Michigan, and retired to Scottsdale Arizona, he called Watertown New York, as well as Knobby Knoll outside Sackets Harbor New York, his true homes.

John Joseph Musselman is survived by his children Elizabeth (Betsy) of Taos NM, Thomas (Tom) of Scottsdale AZ, John (Jack) of Austin TX, Francis (Fran) of Scottsdale AZ, and Stephen (Steve) of West Friendship MD; and by his daughters-in-love Elizabeth Green of Austin, TX; Heather Litman of Culver City CA; Jennifer (Jenny) Veninga of Austin TX; and Aileen Slocum Musselman of West Friendship, MD; and by his grandchildren Stephen (Steve) Laycock, Matthew (Matt) Laycock, John Carl Musselman, Maryellyn Musselman, Isabel Anne Musselman, Luke Musselman, Liam Green Musselman, Smith Musselman, and Elliott James Veninga; and by his grandaughter-in-love Willoughby Laycock; and by his great-grandchildren Wilder and Adaline and Maeve.

John will rest for eternity with his wife Mary, children Jo Ellen and Mark, as well as other family members in Watertown. A funeral service will be held to celebrate John’s life in Scottsdale, Arizona at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (https://stpatcc.org/) at 11am Mountain Time on January 13, 2023. (If you will not be attending that service, we plan to livecast the service on the Internet. Email Jack at jackgm@stedwards.edu for that info.) John will be laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery at 23348 County Route 67 Watertown.

In lieu of flowers please support the upkeep of the playground at Knobby Knoll, in upstate New York, near John and Mary’s summer cottages where their children and grandchildren played, by sending a contribution to Knobby Knoll Sunshine Fund, ℅ Amy Corbett, 119 Chestnut Street, Watertown NY, 13601. (Amy also has a Venmo account, username @Amycorbett-73).

Please contact Jack (by email at jackgm@stedwards.edu or by mail at St. Edward’s University, Department of Philosophy, 3001 South Congress Avenue, Austin TX 78704) if you want to share any John stories with the family.

God bless all of you for your love and support for John and his family.