Jack Founds (John Edward Founds Jr.), age 77, passed away on August 4, 2025.

John Edward “Jack” Founds Jr. was born on September 5, 1947, in Philadelphia, PA, to John E. Founds Sr. and Elizabeth V. McLaughlin. He enjoyed an exciting and joyful childhood in the Fishtown / Northeast area, growing up alongside his beloved three siblings – Gerry, Janice, and Lou Ann—and attended school in the Catholic school system.

At just seventeen, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in Germany from 1964 to 1967 and attaining the rank of Sergeant before his honorable discharge from active duty in 1970. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal in recognition of his dedicated service during the Vietnam War era, and his skill and proficiency were further acknowledged with the Sharpshooter Badge and Expert Infantryman Badge.

After graduating from the Philadelphia Police Academy in November 1971, Jack began his law enforcement career as a uniform patrol officer in the 23rd District of North Philadelphia. From 1980 to 1992, he served in the Philadelphia Transit Unit’s Undercover Robbery Decoy Team, years he often recalled as some of the most exciting and rewarding of his career. In 1992, after earning a perfect score on the detectives’ exam, Jack was promoted to Detective in the Central Detective Division in Center City Philadelphia, where he served until his retirement on a Friday from the police force in 1996 after 25 years of service.

Jack’s retirement was short-lived—lasting only a weekend. The following Monday, he began work as an Agent II with the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, serving for eleven years before being appointed Special Agent on the Gun Violence Task Force, a role he held from 2007 until his final retirement in 2014.

Throughout his distinguished career, Jack received fourteen Philadelphia Police Department commendations, was named Officer of the Month five times, Officer of the Year in 1990, and earned numerous other honors from the Mayor’s Office, Managing Director’s Office, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5, The Chapel of the Four Chaplains, The Union League of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Office of the FBI, and the Philadelphia School Board. He was a proud member of the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #5 (Delegate for 10 years, Health Plan Board of Trustees) and AFSCME Local 2455 (Workers’ Compensation Committee Chairman, Delegate–Council 88, Delegate–Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO).

Jack was the beloved husband of Susan (née McJilton); loving father of John (Jackie/Johnny) Edward Founds III (Halli), Jennifer Founds (Jesse), and Samantha Founds; stepfather of Vickie White (Tim); and grandfather of Dominic Founds. He was the hilarious and devoted brother of Janice Hennessy (Ed) and Lou Ann Miller (Ed). He was preceded in death by his father, John E. Founds (1964); mother, Elizabeth V. Fitzgerald [McLaughlin, Founds] (1998); brother, Gerard D. Founds (2017); son, Jeffery Founds (2015); and granddaughter, Carolelyn Founds (2020).

An intimate inurnment with military funeral honors will be held at Washington Crossing National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a veterans’ organization—such as The Road Home Foundation—and make your loved ones laugh until they cry, just as Jack always did. “Smile, what’s the use of crying… You’ll find that life is still worthwhile if you’ll just smile.”