John Kerwin “Jack” Nunneley
October 19, 1927 to November 11, 2014
Captain John Kerwin “Jack” Nunneley, USN Ret., passed away peacefully, in the loving care of his family on Veteran’s Day. He was 87 years young.
A third-generation native Californian, Jack was raised on an apricot-and-prune ranch in Saratoga. He attended Los Gatos High School and Santa Clara University before being appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
There, he met and married the love of his life, Cynthia Ainsworth Flynn. He served in the Navy from 1951-81 and was qualified to command nuclear submarines.
His final tour was as the commander of the Mare Island Naval Base, where he had previously been stationed in 1966 to commission and become the first commander of the USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN-658), a ballistic-missile submarine.
Those who knew Jack remember his many, often hilarious, stories about life at sea and the camaraderie of those who serve together.
After retiring from the Navy, Jack pursued his passion for community service and was very active in the United Way, Rotary Club, and other philanthropic activities.
He moved to Scotts Valley in 2008 after the untimely loss of Cynthia to live with his son, John Jr..
He is survived by his three loving children, Catherine, Cynthia, and John Jr., seven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. He will be missed and always loved by all who knew him.
A private memorial will be scheduled for a future date.
