John "Gerald" Noonan, 64, dies

John Gerald Noonan, 64, of Anderson, Indiana, died February 21, 2004, at his residence, following an extended illness.  He was a trainer and driver of standardbred horses throughout the United States and had been employed for the last four years at Hoosier Park.  Survivors include his wife, Marsha (Pratt) Noonan; daughters, Rosemary Noonan; mother, Imelda (Kenny) Noonan; and five sisters, Aileen Noonan, Connie Elderkin, Helen Godfrey, Paula MacEachern and Rosemary MacDonell.  Services were held on Tuesday, February 24th, in Alexandria, Indiana.  Cremation was chosen, with private family burial services to be conducted at a later date.  Cards may be sent to Marsha Noonan, at: 1491 N. 600 W. Rd., Anderson, IN  46011

John Gerald Noonan Loved Harness Racing and Horses
- by: Melanie Hayes, Anderson Herald Bulletin, February 23, 2004

John Gerald Noonan had a passion for horses and dedicated his life to driving them in harness races around the country.  Noonan, 64, who was born in Prince Edward Island, Canada, and died Saturday at his Anderson, Indiana, home following complications of cancer, was a horse owner, trainer, and driver for 45 years.

John's love for harness races helped him decide at a young age it would become his career.  "He started before he graduated from high school.  He was always at the track.  He worked after school and weekends cleaning stalls when he was in school," said Marsha Noonan, his wife.  "He drove his first race in 1956, when he was about 17.  It was a lifelong career for him."

The couple met while working at the same track in Columbus, Ohio.  "I was in the business before I met him.  My uncle, my father, and I owned horses together and I met him at the track."  Marsha, 57, said, "We made a living doing this, the two of us.  I also drove for 20 years."

And although it was their common interest in harness racing and horses that helped bring them together, there was more to Marsha's attraction to her future husband.  "He was brutally handsome," Marsha said, giggling.  "He was to me at least."  The horse-lovers spent 32 years as a married couple and lived 20 years of those in Florida and the rest traveling around training and driving.

He had his own stable for many years," Marsha said.  "We never went over 25 horses because it's a lot of work and if you do it right it's time consuming."  The Noonans owned a few horses, but most of them were horses they kept in their stables and trained and drove them for others.

And even after the couple retired from running their own stable, they felt the need to stay involved with racing.  Four years ago, husband and wife moved to Anderson and began working at Hoosier Park.  "He and I both took jobs, he as a trainer and me as a groom," she said.  "I cared for the horses and he did the training."  John trained and prepared horses for Ricky Macomber, a pretty well-ranking harness driver at Hoosier Park, Marsha added.

Marsha said that although her husband wasn't driving anymore, he was very successful back in the day, winning numerous races and enjoying himself the whole way through.  "He loved the animals and he loved the sport.  He wasn't a vain man or a glory seeker," she said.  "He just had a passion for the business."

Source: Anderson Herald Bulletin