John J. E. Markham II

FRIENDSHIP – On Friday, July 12, 2024, John James Emanuel Markham II passed away in his home in Friendship, surrounded by family members and listening to the sounds of the sea. He died as a result of complications following a heart attack last year, but in the big picture, his death was the result of his remarkable life: one he lived exuberantly, sometimes even defiantly, in spite of the many health crises he faced over the years that he overcame with grit and eternal positivity. John was a man who loved life and who reveled in being alive.

He was born in 1947 in New Haven, Conn., and raised along with his sister, Betsy, and brother, Jesse (Bill), in Nashville, Tenn., Princeton, N.J., and Cambridge, Mass. He was a beloved troublemaker who once cut class by asking the teacher a complicated question and, when she turned to the chalkboard to answer it, jumping out the window. He graduated from Roanoke College and found his true calling in the Law. He attended Washington and Lee University Law School where he was the editor its law review journal and graduated second in his class in 1972.

Anyone who knew him understood that John was a singular, larger than life character. He was a raconteur of the highest order, relishing in both the tale and its telling. He was also a relentless optimist, certain that the fog was always just about to lift, that this would be the season the Jets would win big (go, Jets). He was a lifelong learner, always ready to complicate and amend his understanding of politics, history and the world at large. He was also a person who could – and did – connect with anyone and everyone he met. A one-man cheering squad who delighted in giving counsel to others, he saw and believed in the best of people. He was also singularly generous: what was his was for the giving. He loved to order too much food and buy too much dessert. He was the life of the party. With him, even the most hum-drum of occasions was a celebration.

John was a patriot in the sense that he believed deeply in this country’s promise, and his devotion to his country, its people, and its principles manifested itself in his love of the law. John loved practicing law, teaching law (both formally and informally), and using the law to help his clients, friends, and family. He began his legal career at a Wall Street law firm (Shearman & Sterling) and later became partner at a law firm in San Francisco (Lillick, McHose & Charles, now Nixon Peabody), where he met his wife. He then decided to chart a new course, serving as a federal prosecutor in San Diego, San Francisco, and Boston where he was the Chief of the Major Frauds Section. John also taught courses in evidence and criminal law and procedure at Harvard Law School, Santa Clara Law, and the Attorney General’s Advocacy Institute. John was immensely proud of his work as a prosecutor and professor but in 1990, he launched his greatest professional joy: the law practice of Markham and Read, which he founded with his wife, Liz. As someone who possessed a bottomless well of empathy, a drive to help others, and sheer amusement with the human condition, he was a defender at heart. His work ethic and passion for his craft is a continued source of inspiration to his children, Lauren and Chris, who dutifully answered the family phone with “Markham and Read” growing up, and knew how to accept calls from a federal prison before they knew how to read.

From successfully prosecuting the notorious cult leader and presidential hopeful Lyndon LaRouche to defending the (alleged!) architect of what the prosecutor liked to call the “largest seizure of hashish in the history of the world,” John enjoyed every minute of practicing the law. Out of a deep commitment to his clients and to the pursuit of justice itself, he practiced up until the final days of his life. 

John is survived by his wife, Liz, his children, and so many family members near and far who loved him dearly, and whom he loved in return. His favorite place to be was on the water in Maine with his family, a place he began coming to as a little boy. It is fitting that this is the place he said goodbye. John’s final day on his beloved porch was spent staring into the fog, declaring it a beautiful day, while listening to the Rolling Stones (Sticky Fingers). Our final family movie night was a screening of his favorite: “My Cousin Vinny.” It took a lot of courage and endurance to live in a body that kept shutting down. What a tireless human being, an exhilarating life. It feels like he lived ten or twelve of them. 

The family will hold a celebration of John’s life at its annual Party on the Porch in Friendship. Plans for an opportunity to gather with friends are in the works.

John J. E. Markham II