John attended Harvard University until a job offer from Raytheon drew him to Newport. While there, he organized a softball team, named them The Rayporters, and challenged other teams in the Sunset League. John was also self-proclaimed “Mixologist Extraordinaire”; over the course of the next 30 years he tended bar at several Newport establishments, including Sully’s Publick House, The Auld Mug Lounge, and Rogers Roost.
In the late 1960s, he earned his BA and Masters in Education from RIC. John enjoyed his career teaching History and Social Studies at Portsmouth High School, and was proud to represent Portsmouth teachers as their union president and NEARI Area Vice-President. For ten years after his retirement, he worked as a college recruiter for Green Mountain College, Mitchell College, and Rhode Island College.
A life-long Red Sox fan, he spent several winters at Spring Training in Fort Myers, FL after his second retirement. He was grateful to have lived long enough to enjoy their World Series wins. When not watching a Boston game, he could be found reading a book a day and completing New York Times crosswords.
John spent nearly every summer of his life in York Beach, ME, working on his famous tan and playing innumerable rounds of Bocce. Everywhere he lived and worked, John is remembered by good friends as being a true gentleman.
Calling hours Wednesday, January 8, from 3 – 5 PM, Barrett & Cotter Funeral Home, 1328 Warwick Ave., Warwick, RI 02888. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Development Office, PO Box H, Providence, RI 02901.
