John Rommel Irish

He was born on the 5th of August 1959, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Anne Houston Hogan Irish and William M. Irish IV, who predeceased him, and was the youngest of three children. The family moved to Houston in 1961 where John attended St. Anne’s Catholic School and St. Thomas High School. At St. Thomas, John played football and ran track.

John attended the University of Texas, where he was a Texas Alpha member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, and the University of Houston. At the latter he helped to re-charter the Texas Delta chapter of Sig Ep and was its first president in 1984.

John enjoyed a successful and widely varied career in athletic and event production, beginning with volunteering for the Bluebonnet Bowl and the Houston Gamblers in the mid-1980’s. He worked for the Harris County Houston Sports Authority at the Astrodome before beginning a long association with the Olympics. John was a venue operations and transportation manager for four separate Olympic local organizing committees from 1996 to 2012 in three countries across two continents. He also handled logistics coordination for other national events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, The Ryder Cup, ADA Torch Run, 2014 Transplant Games, and Houston Comicpalooza to name a few.

John married the love of his life, Anne Dodd Britton, on the 30th of November 2019. She and his siblings, William M. Irish V and his wife (Teresa), and Kathryn Scott (John) survive him, as do Anne’s children, Lauren Britton (James Sandel) and Michael Britton; and nieces, Elyse Hatch and Molly Ellerman; and nephew, Patrick Scott. Additionally, numerous great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins, and his beloved dog Oliver, survive him.

John was a proud great-great-great grandson of General Sam Houston, loved history and did extensive genealogical research on both sides of the family through the years. He also loved the water, in particular Galveston Bay, where he learned to swim, ski, sail, fish and just spend time. The bay brought him much joy throughout his life.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from two until four o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 23rd of January, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive.

A Mass of Christian Burial is to be offered at ten o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 24th of January, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 2140 Westheimer Road in Houston, where the Rev. Jay Walsh, CSB, is to celebrate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent St. Teresa Living Room.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers during the services are Michael Britton, Paul Grabowski, John Green, D.J. Mackovets, Brian McCauley, Daniel Pedrotti, Ronald Stavinoha and Dr. George Zenner.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in John’s memory be directed to the charity of one’s choice.

“Trust in the Lord! Fight like hell! Never fear! Never give up! Never give in!”