John McConnachie

Graveside Service: Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 1:00 pm.at the Ranchers Cemetery in Myers, Montana

John McConnachie, age 94, of Greenbrae, California, died on November 10, 2006, at the Greenbrae Care Center.

John was born in Pineview, MT on August 8, 1912. The son of John and Elsie McConnachie, John was raised and educated in the valley and graduated from Custer High School. John earned an associate degree from Rocky Mountain College in Billings before going on to graduate near the top of his class with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. He then began what became a life long career with the Social Security Administration, interrupted only by his distinguished military service during World War II. John started his career with the government in 1937, and was working at the Social Security Administration when the very first claim checks were mailed out in 1940, an event he always remembered. Later that year he served for four months on a survey group interviewing self-employed people in the city of Chicago. As a result of the survey, Social Security coverage was eventually extended to the self-employed as well as other groups such as farm laborers.

As the SSA offices in Washington were transferred to other cities to make space for agencies supporting the war effort, John was transferred to Chicago early in 1942, where he served as Unit Chief. He shortly left that position, though, and volunteered for service in the U.S. Navy. By September of that year he had received his commission and was soon sent to Harvard University to attend the Navy Communications School. John spent a total of four years on active duty, and for the last two years of his service he was assigned to the staff of the Commander of the 7th Fleet in the Pacific.

Once, when delivering a message to General MacArthur, the general thanked him and patted in him on the back. John, always a self-effacing man, preferred to remember that small moment rather than his own important service during the war. Although close to receiving the rank of rear admiral by wars end, John retired from the service in 1946, much preferring civilian life on the West Coast. John did however, remain active in the Naval Reserves for 26 years and retired in 1972 with the rank of Captain. After the war John returned to the San Francisco SSA office as Chief of Certification. He was promoted repeatedly and in the 1960s was transferred first to Kansas City and then to the New York office.

He returned to his beloved San Francisco in 1971 as Deputy Regional Commissioner, and by 1978 had been promoted to Regional Commissioner of the San Francisco Region, a position he held until his retirement. An active man who loved traveling, John and his wife Margaret revisited many of the places he had seen during the war, including Australia and New Zealand. He was an avid salmon fisherman who loved being out on the water. Even during retirement, though, John was determined to give something back to the community, and was active in various organizations, including the Commonwealth Club, the Retired Officers Association, the American Legion, and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees.

John is survived by his wife of 57 years, Margaret (Hovey) McConnachie, of Greenbrae, California as well as two sisters, Catherine Chapman and Alice Rock, both of Billings, Montana. Also surviving are nieces and nephews, Kathy Allen and Patty Clark of Anchorage, Alaska, John Christensen of Dagmar, Montana, Diane Thomas of Plentywood, Montana, Darlene Christensen of Minot, N.D., Dr. James Chapman of Live Oak, Calif., and Teresa Damon of Bismarck, N.D. In addition he is survived by his great niece and nephews, Michael Clark and Kimberly Duvall of Anchorage, and Ryan Thomas of Arvada, Colorado.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Robert McConnachie and William McConnachie; and three sisters, Margaret Robinson, Edith Allen and Ethel Christensen.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, November 15th, between 1-4pm at Keatons Mortuary 1022 E St. San Rafael, followed by a funeral service on Thursday, November 16, at 2pm, Pastor Chris Losey is officiating. John McConnachie will be laid to rest at Ranchers Cemetery in Myers, Montana on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 1:00 pm.