John Meredith Kaheny

John Meredith Kaheny November 28th, 1944 ~ July 2, 2025 John M. Kaheny, devoted husband, father, grandfather, lawyer, Marine, and dear friend was born in the Bronx in 1944 and spent his early life on Long Island, New York. He graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s College in Maryland in 1966 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve. In January of 1967 he arrived in Vietnam and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines where he served for over eighteen months. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” for his service, but was most proud of the three Presidential Unit Citations and Meritorious Unit Commendation the battalion received during those 18 months of extensive combat. In 1968, he was assigned to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego where he served until his release from active duty in 1970 and attended the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. While attending Hastings College of the Law he married Deralyn Lewis of Los Angeles and together they raised three children, Coleen, Meghan, and Peter in Kensington. John joined the Office of the City Attorney of San Diego in 1974 where he served as a Deputy City Attorney, Chief Deputy City Attorney and finally as Assistant City Attorney. He became City Attorney for the City of Chula Vista in 1996 and served until his retirement in 2003. John was active in the Marine Corps Reserve, commanding two companies, the Fourth Tank Battalion in San Diego from 1985-1986, The Marine Corps Mobilization Station in Albuquerque, NM and finally the 3rd Civil Affairs Group in Los Angeles from 1989-1991. As Commanding Officer of 2d CAG he served in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his actions. John enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, traveling, reading, Irish music, rock ‘n’ roll, the Rest and Aspiration Club, The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, and tailgating at San Diego Charger games where he hosted many friends. He was especially fond of camping at Twin Lakes, Bridgeport, CA where his wife spent the summers of her youth. John was known for his good sense, loyalty, dedication to family, allegiance to his country, love for his fellow Marines, and love for his dear friends. John was a man who left no one behind and was always ready to counsel and assist family and friends whenever they were in need. He lived a life of service dedicated to the virtues and steeped in tradition. His best friend of 70 years, James Blake, described John as follows, “The Colonel was a modern day Kiplinesque warrior who embodied all the noble qualities admired by the ancients. He was a modern day classic.” He is survived by his wife Deralyn, their three children, Coleen McLemore, her husband Roger, Meghan Kaheny, and Captain Peter Kaheny USNR, three granddaughters Olivia, Clara, and Lauren, and his sister Nora Costanzo and her husband Joe, of Ormond Beach, Florida.     

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