John Borman

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Borman, John John passed away suddenly on Sunday, April 7th due to complications secondary to a traumatic brain injury he sustained in May 2013. John Philip Borman was born on March 21, 1946, in Little Falls, MN, the eldest of nine children born to Myron Francis Borman and Bernadette (Burggraff) Borman. Until the age of 12, John grew up on a farm near Royalton, MN and attended a one-room country school house. Due to his father's health, the family moved to Minneapolis, MN where John grew up on the north side of the city and attended St. Bridget's School and De La Salle High School. After graduation from high school in 1964, John joined the U.S Marine Corps, where he served four years as an armorer, ordnance specialist, and helicopter gunner, including two tours of duty in Viet Nam. After receiving an Honorable Discharge at the rank of Sergeant from the Marine Corps, John returned to Minnesota to attend college. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in Political Science in 1973. Then pursuing an interest in public affairs, John joined the staff of Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, where he spent more than two years as a community and student organizer. Realizing that he could best serve the public interest as a lawyer, John applied to and was granted admission to the Notre Dame Law School in South Bend, IN, where he obtained his Juris Doctor Degree in 1979. After graduation from law school, John became a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Glenn E. Kelley in Winona, MN. Upon completion of his judicial clerkship, John joined the firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi where he became a partner and practiced for 16 years, specializing as a trial lawyer in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability and medical malpractice. In response to a desire to become a "Country lawyer," John resigned from Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi in 1997 and returned to Winona, MN where he joined the law firm of Streater and Murphy. He continued to specialize his practice as a trial lawyer until his retirement in 2000. John was admitted to practice in the states of MN and WI and was also admitted in numerous federal courts. During his legal career, John was very active in the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Assn, the Wisconsin Academy of Trial Lawyers, the Assn of Trial Lawyers of America and the Academy of Certified Trial Lawyers. He was also a member of the Minnesota and Wisconsin Bar Assn and the American Bar Assn. John also had a strong interest in human rights and was a long-time member of Amnesty International and the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, which allowed him to do human rights missions to Tunisia and Israel and the Occupied Territories, and to publish human rights reports following those missions. After his retirement, John took a particular interest in Truth and Reconciliation by working on projects in Peru, Liberia and by his work with the D.O.V.E (Development of Viet Nam Endeavors) Fund and the Winona-Dakota Unity Alliance. John was also commissioned as a Lay Minister in the Catholic Church by the Diocese of Winona in 2006. He was a long-time member of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona, an associate member of St. Olaf Catholic Church in Mpls and a member of the Demontreville Jesuit Retreat House. John was also very active in the Boy Scouts of America and long-time member of the Marine Corps League and the Hiawatha Valley Marines. He is preceded in death by his father Myron Francis Borman and his mother Bernadette Mary Borman. He is survived by his son Mac Arthur Nelson II, his wife Tara and grandchildren Alexis, Claire and Andre. Also surviving him are siblings: Judy (Richard) Fehn, Bob (Nancy), Barbara (Michael) Grimshaw, Kateri (Michael) Seraphine, Butch (Carol), Susan (IJ) Sheehan, Jo Mary (Julie) and Peter (Linda) and 18 nieces and nephews; former wives Theresa and Yvonne. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to De La Salle High School in Minneapolis, MN. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30am on Saturday, April 13th @ St. Anthony of Padua Chapel at Catholic Eldercare, 813 Main Street NE, Mpls, with visitation starting at 9:30am. Private interment on Tuesday, April 16th at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Washburn-McReavy.com Hillside Chapel 612-781-1999

Published on April 11, 2019