Judge John Carney
Judge John Richard Carney Jr, 78, of Ludington, passed away peacefully after a 23-year battle with cancer on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.
He was born in Battle Creek on June 16, 1947, to Drs. John and Ruth Carney. John was raised in Ludington with his younger sisters, Irene and Christine. He was known for his mischievous spirit in his youth, often bringing a lot of laughs to his friends, but giving his mom and dad a run for their money.
John graduated from Olivet College and from Duke University Law School with a juris doctor degree. Duke became “his basketball team” that he followed for his entire life. John had a great memory which served him well in the law field, and was a voracious reader in his later years.
He was passionate about sports, motorcycles, and snowmobiles – anything that had a good motor and went fast. John enjoyed sharing these hobbies with friends who affectionately nicknamed him “Carnak.” Of course, he had nicknames for all of them too. John excelled in basketball, football, track, and golf at Ludington High School, and was proud of his achievements with the football and golf teams. He later played golf for Olivet College. A dedicated golfer, he was twice elected president at Lincoln Hills Golf Club.
On Aug. 27,1966, John married Patricia Gwen Houk. After John finished school in North Carolina, they moved back to Ludington to begin his law career. At age 31, he followed in his grandfather’s footsteps, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Leland Carr, by becoming the 79th District Court Judge, where he presided for 24 years in Mason and Oceana counties. He chose not to run for another reelection in 2002 and retired. During his tenure, he handled upwards of 250,000 cases. He felt satisfied to have provided prompt, fair, and effective resolution of his caseload during his time as Judge.
John is survived by his wife, Patricia; daughter, Margaret (Mike) Fennema of Ludington, and son, Dr. Joel (Amy) Carney of Port Tobacco, Md..; grandchildren, Jake Bailey of Arlington, Va., Peyton Carney of Dublin, Ireland, and Mason Carney of Ludington; sister, Christine Carney; in-laws: Linda (Shirley) Cronenwett, Russell (Susana) Houk, Peggy (Neal) Payne: numerous nieces, nephews, and their families; and his beloved dog, Sadie.
He was preceded in death by his parents Drs. John and Ruth Carney; his sister Irene Carney Kendrick; and his father and mother-in-law: Russell and Florence Mary Houk.
Following the cremation, a celebration of life will be held at the Grace Funeral Home on Saturday, September 20, 2025 from noon to 3 p.m. at 3060 W. US 10-31, Ludington.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Corewell Health Hospice and Palliative Care – West Michigan at https://give.corewellhealth.org/hospice-donation, or a charity of your choosing.
Arrangements were entrusted to Grace Funeral Home and Cremation Services (formerly Oak Grove Funeral Home of Ludington), www.GraceCremations.com.
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