John A. Brett, 73, of Burnsville, Minn.

BURNSVILLE, MINN.

» John A. Brett, 73, of Burnsville, Minn., passed away July 23, 2017, surrounded by his loving family, after a brief illness.

John was born on Oct. 29, 1943, in Watertown, N.Y., to attorney Kenneth W. Brett and Mary Tooley Brett.

John graduated from Immaculate Heart Academy in 1961. He earned his B.S. from the University of Buffalo in Labor Relations in 1965. John was a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. The majority of his career was spent in management with Anchor Hocking Corp. and Plastics Inc., in New Jersey, Ohio, and Minnesota. John was proud of his volunteer service to Habitat for Humanity, Homework Helpers, and his love for the New York Yankees.

He was predeceased by his parents.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Elaine; children, Anne Marie (Jimmy) Long of Henderson, Nev., Alexis Brett of Las Vegas, Nev., John “Jay” Brett of Pasadena, Calif.; stepchildren, Donna (Karin) Zelinsky, Ronald “Butch” Zelinsky of Minneapolis, Minn.; five grandchildren; siblings, Sister Mary Ellen Brett, SSJ, of Copenhagen, N.Y., Jane (John) Scott of Syracuse, N.Y., and Kenneth (Anna) Brett of Kingston, N.Y.; and two nieces.

A funeral Mass was held on Friday, July 28, 2017, at Mary Mother of the Church in Burnsville, Minn., followed by interment at Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minn.

Donations in John’s memory may be made to Immaculate Heart Central School, Watertown, N.Y. Local obituary courtesy of the Joseph V. Leahy Funeral Home Inc., 27 Smith Ave., Kingston, N.Y.