Delco re:View Summer 2019 - 14

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And the Doors of Heaven Opened...
JOHN J. LIST, ESQUIRE
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION
APRIL 26, 2019

WHEREAS, John J. List, Esquire, a
longtime member in good standing of the
Delaware County Bar Association, passed
away on April 10, 2018 at the age of 73.
WHEREAS, the Delaware County Bar
Association has convened this meeting to
recognize the passing of our fellow Bar
Member, we meet today to honor John
and memorialize his life.
At the time of his death, John lived
with his wife, Jane, and his son Matt in
Marple Township, Delaware County. He
still had an active law practice located at
210 West Front Street, right here in Media
Borough.
John was born on Christmas Day,
1944, and he was the son of Jack & Mary
List. John had three brothers, Anthony Sr.,
Kenny and Charlie, and one sister, Sally.
John was a lifelong resident of
Delaware County. He grew up on Ormond
Avenue in Drexel Hill and graduated from
Monsignor Bonner High School in 1962.
He graduated from St. Joseph's University
in 1967. John played baseball in his
younger years, where he excelled at the
position of catcher. It was while attending
St. Joe's that John met his future wife and
the love of his life, Jane. They later had a
son, Matt, who was beloved to them both.
Following his graduation from St.
Joe's, John taught grade school in South
Philadelphia for a year. After marrying
Jane in 1969, he was then hired by the
United States Secret Service.

14 | Summer 2019

John's distinguished career with the
U.S. Secret Service lasted from 1968 to
1972. While assigned to the New York
City Field Office, he was handpicked
by Jackie Kennedy Onassis to provide
security for John Kennedy Jr. who was
twelve at the time. John's tour of duty
took him all over the world, from the
Caribbean Islands, to London to Greece,
where his detail required spending
time aboard Aristotle Onassis' yacht,
the Christina. John's Secret Service
career also included providing security
details for such dignitaries as Mamie
Eisenhower, Spirew Agnew and
Pat Nixon.
In 1972, John was recruited and hired
by then Chief of Delaware County CID
Rocco Urella to become a Detective with
their Unit. While he worked by day as
a Detective with CID, he attended law
school by night at the then Delaware Law
School and graduated from Widener Law
School in 1977. After his graduation, he
formed the law firm List and List, with
his brother Tony, which was to become
a Media Institution at their famous 113
North Olive Street office.
John's had three passions that were
well known to his friends and fellow
Bar members: Cars, motorcycles and
the Jersey shore. Jane recalls fondly that
John owned a black Corvette when they
first met. Any lawyer in Media or any of
John's clients knew he had arrived when
they glimpsed a sight of his powder blue
1984 Cadillac Eldorado with the white
top. He also owned more than his fair
share of Mercedes Benz, BMWs, and
Mustangs. He kept his vehicles in pristeen
shape, constantly washing, waxing and
keeping them looking beautiful. John
also had a fondness for Harley Davidson
motorcycles, even owning more than one
in his early 70s. John and Jane always
loved the Jersey shore. They bought a
condo in Avalon in 1992 where they spent
every weekend during the summers. John

loved sitting on his deck and sunning
on the beach.
John was always known for his
impeccable appearance in the Courtroom
and around the office. He was always
dressed to the nines in court, from his
perfectly shined shoes, to his finely
pressed suit with the tab collar, to his
miraculously styled, perfect head of hair.
He always was in shape, and he even
smelled amazing, with a dab of cologne
from time to time. Jealous attorneys his
age, who suffered from baldness or a
receding hairline, might question his full
head of hair, but John's was all real.
John was an extremely devoted family
man. He loved his wife and son dearly
and everything he did revolved around
them. John was extremely proud of his
son Matt and he also was extremely
close to all his siblings. In addition to
his law practice with his brother Tony,
John shared office space with his nephew
Anthony Jr. John was also extremely
proud of Charlie, who began his career as
a police officer in Upper Providence and
then later followed in John's footsteps
by becoming a CID Detective. He also
kept in close contact with Kenny, who
he visited from time to time in Florida.
John would often regale others with proud
stories of Kenny's son, Cory, who became
a Sheriff in Florida.
In terms of his work and his
relationship with his clients, John was a
legend in Delaware County. From the '80s
on, he was always in the Top 5 of criminal
trial lawyers to call in Delco if you got in
trouble with the law. From his courtroom
appearance, to his knowledge of the law,
to his hard work and preparation, to his
outstanding relationship and reputation
with Assistant District Attorneys and
police, to his dogged tenacity in the
Courtroom, John was known as the man
you needed representing you if you got
arrested. He was recognized as a Super
Lawyer by Philly Magazine and received
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