John McEnery

December 30, 1925 - February 26, 2021 Monterey, CA

After a long and varied life, Lieutenant General John Winn McEnery passed away peacefully on 26 February 2021. The son of an Army surgeon, he was born at the Presidio of San Francisco in December of 1925. His childhood was spent primarily at the Presidio of Monterey and at Fort Warren, Wyoming. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1948. While at West Point, he was twice selected to the All American Lacrosse Team. Later, he was assistant coach of the USMA Lacrosse team when they won the 1958 National Championship. During more than 30 years of Army service, he commanded units ranging from platoon to division size. He served overseas in Germany, Spain, Korea and Vietnam. Highlights of his service have included command of the 3rd Squadron of the 11th Armored Cavalry in Viet Nam; Command of the 101st Airborne Division; Command of the Armor Center at Fort Knox, Kentucky; and President of the Inter American Defense Board. General McEnery’s decorations include: the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal, The Silver Star (2 awards), the Bronze Star, The Purple Heart, and The Air Medal (26 awards). Other awards include the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Parachute Badge, Air Assault Badge, and the Army Aviator Badge. General McEnery was married in 1949 to Constance Markley of Cheyenne, Wyoming. John & Connie have two sons: Douglas, a retired superintendent with The Department of Defense Schools overseas, and John Jr. JJD, who worked for a law firm in Atlanta, GA. General McEnery retired from the Army in 1983 and moved to Monterey, CA. John was an avid sportsman having won many tennis trophies at the Carmel Valley Tennis Club. John ran the Big Sur Marathon five times. He was also a volunteer for the York School for many years. John is survived by his son Douglas McEnery, grandchildren Miles McEnery, Winn McEnery, Matthew McEnery, Katherine McEnery, and grandchildren Harper McEnery and John McEnery III. He was preceded in death by his wife Constance and his son John Jr. John will join his wife Connie at the West Point Cemetery sometime this fall when the family can safely gather to honor his life.