John Early McGaw died on Aug. 8, 2025, in Palm Springs, California after a long illness. He was 70 years old. John moved to the California desert after living for several decades in Washington, DC where he worked for the District of Columbia in several positions, including as deputy director for capital budgets under Mayor Vincent Gray.
John leaves behind his husband Frank Pietrucha. The couple was partnered in 2008 in Washington, then married in California in February 2025.
Before moving to California, John resided in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, where he was an active member of the community. He enjoyed walks with his Irish Terriers, first Auggie then Cubsy, at the Historic Congressional Cemetery and an occasional latte at Peregrine Espresso. Before moving to Capitol Hill, John had previously in Dupont Circle and Foxhall Village.
The son of Robert Armistead McGaw and Elizabeth Early, John remembered his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee fondly. He spoke of an idyllic childhood growing up as an only child to two adoring parents who had him late in life. He loved participating in children’s theater, and recalled with great fondness taking on the role of the back half of Sancho Panza’s burro in the musical “Man of La Mancha.” One of John’s favorite early memories was of going out to feed his pony, Lady, on April 1, only to find she had given birth overnight. John’s parents thought he was playing an April Fool’s joke on them until he finally convinced them to come to the barn to meet April.
John was of Scot’s Irish ancestry and some of his family came to the Colonies as early as the 1720s. He is also a descendant of Civil War Confederate General Jubal Early. John always cherished the warmth and grace of southern hospitality while rejecting its prejudices and inequality.
One of John’s greatest joys in life was teaching horseback riding as a camp counselor at Camp Mondamin in North Carolina. He thrilled at sharing his passion for horses and the great outdoors with youth. The camp community embraced John closely and he cherished his relationships with other counselors and campers well into adulthood.
John attended the prestigious Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville followed by the University of Tennessee. He earned a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. Upon graduation he worked on several historic preservation projects in Greater Philadelphia, including the renovation of City Hall. He moved to Washington in the 1990s to work for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He served as a Clerk for the Committee on Economic Development at the Council of the District of Columbia. As Special Assistant to the Office of Deputy Mayor, he implemented technical and financial programs for small businesses such as DC’s Main Streets Program. He later worked for Washington’s CFO as Deputy Director of the Capitol Budget before going to the Mayor’s office to serve as Director of the Capital Improvements Program.
In his career and in his personal life John was a kind, generous soul. He spent his final days gazing for hours at the palm trees and mountains from his backyard in Cathedral City, California, happy to enjoy nature.
Two organizations are accepting donations in John’s honor:
- www.chiefandcall.org to support camp scholarships
- www.animalsamaratins.org/johnmcgaw for the welfare of animals in greater Palm Spring
