Glennon remembered

Granville’s family doctor and a tireless community volunteer passed away Monday.

Dr. John Glennon, 78, passed away at his home Aug. 22 following (complications from a long battle with Alzheimer’s).

Glennon’s funeral will be held at St. Mary’s Church on Bulkley Avenue today, Thursday, Aug. 25 at 10:30 a.m. with burial at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery in Middle Granville; calling hours were Wednesday.  

Glennon practiced medicine in Granville for nearly four decades from 1961 until his retirement in 1998, also serving as school physician and in numerous other volunteer capacities including with Washington County Head Start.

In addition to his career in medicine, Glennon was a constant volunteer known for taking his family along on volunteer mission trips.

Along with his wife, Anita, the couple served as medical missionaries in the Dominican Republic as well as many domestic volunteer trips from Washington to Massachusetts.

As a man of deep faith, Glennon immersed himself in the St. Mary’s Church parish becoming ordained as a Deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany in 1982 following his retirement and receiving his Master’s in Theology.

His assignment from the diocese was to be chaplain at Great Meadow Correctional Facility and Washington County Correctional Facility in support of Father James Hayes.

As someone who knew Glennon for years, former St. Mary’s priest Father Tom Zelker said the man he knew was always doing something to make life better for others.

“John was a good doctor and I think from his physician career he knew what healing and compassion is; he knew he was entrusted with bringing that to people and he did it well,  really well,” Zelker said. 

Zelker said Glennon often went to Glens Falls Hospital to visit local people and used to ride his bike around Granville doing the same, visiting with people who were having a tough time. 

“As a physician he knew he was entrusted as a leader and a person of compassion. He was there for people during the tough times and he did it with a quiet humility; he was always there for folks and didn’t do it for any notoriety or applause – he was a good country doctor and a good country deacon,” Zelker said.

Glennon was ordained by Bishop Howard Hubbard, who will preside over his funeral along with Zelker.

The same year Glennon moved to Granville to practice medicine he joined the recently started Granville Lions Club where he would serve as a volunteer for decades with the hearing and sight related international charitable organization.

“Our community has lost an exceptional man who graced us with his caring, both professionally and personally, for fifty years. In addition to his many other contributions, John served as a Granville Lion since 1961 in many roles including as our club President. The Lions recognized him with their highest honor, a Melvin Jones Fellowship,” King Lion Marianne Lynch said Tuesday.