John S. Gaughan, 81, of Newport Beach, California passed away on February 25, 2014 after a long illness.

John was born on December 26, 1932 to first generation Irish immigrants James and Margaret Gaughan in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago and attended St. Vincent's elementary school, DePaul Academy and DePaul University all within blocks of his childhood home. After serving his country in the US Army, John earned his degree from DePaul University College of Law. He became an attorney in Illinois in 1962 and served as a tax attorney for the Illinois State Department of Revenue. On August 8, 1959, he married Barbara Jansen and settled in the north side of Chicago where they had three sons. The family moved to Yorba Linda, CA in the summer of 1968. After passing the bar in California, he worked briefly as a prosecutor with the city of La Habra then established a private practice specializing in Civil Litigation. In 1973, he and his family settled in Newport Beach. Over his 44 years of practice John included his sons Kevin and Brian and in the last few years shared an office with his youngest son, Dennis, a criminal defense attorney. He loved the law and shared his vast knowledge and expertise with whomever needed it, continuing to practice up to the very day he took ill in July of 2013.

John will always be remembered for his quick wit, sharp sense of humor and steal trap mind. He redefined the Irish gift of gab, frequently holding court to an entire room with colorful stories. John was a news "junkie." There was never a time when he did not have a folded up section of the newspaper in his back pocket for immediate reading.

John is survived by his wife Barbara, his son Brian, daughter-in-law Liana, and grandchildren, Devin, 12 and Brianna, 9, son Kevin, daughter-in-law, Laura, grandchildren Aidan, 10 and Rylie, 8, son Dennis, grandchildren Connor, 21, Kylie 19, and Keaton, 17, as well as his brother, the Honorable Judge Vincent Gaughan of Chicago, sister-in-law Nancy Gaughan and brother-in-law Jim Cunningham.

Services will be held at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Newport Beach on Friday, March 7, 2014 at 11:00 am.