January 14, 1937 – July 3, 2022
John William Elliott, Jr., age 85, most recently of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, formerly of Pocasset and Mansfield, Massachusetts, passed peacefully away on Sunday, July 3, 2022.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 14, 1937, Jackie as he was known then, was a devoted son to his late parents, John William and Katherine Marie (Kenney) Elliott, Sr. Jack, as he was known to his family and friends, was preceded in death by his sister Alberta Nickerson, and is survived by his sisters Elaine McGrail, Jeanne Fogerty, and brother, Warren Elliott (Karen), loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, a plethora of extended family, and long-time family friends.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife and life-long best friend, Lois Kathleen (Hickey) Elliott. Jack and Lois were wed for more than fifty-eight years where Jack’s steadfast love and caring devotion to Lois was notably admired by family and friends who surrounded them throughout their life together. Jack and Lois raised two children; Laurie, and John in Mansfield, where family friends abound, and many precious memories were created. They went on to travel extensively over their years together, with special memories made and many, many photos taken at destinations like, Bermuda, Bonaire, the redwood forests of California and National Parks, Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States.
As a young boy, Jack developed an avid interest in photography. Growing up, he was also a dedicated Boy Scout and camper. Through his love of photography, he documented in black and white photos a once-in-a-lifetime trip as a young scout to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. He became a scuba diver as a young man and enjoyed diving for most of his life, often with his brother, Warren, aboard their father’s boat in the harbors of Boston. He was a lifelong reader, boater, swimmer, and always enjoyed the ocean and all it had to offer. As a father, he imparted his love of swimming, diving, and the ocean; the knowledge and love of camping to his family, as evidenced by the many years of trips throughout the northeastern United States.
Jack was a graduate of the 1955 class of the historied English High School of Boston, Massachusetts, where he continued honing his photography skills as a yearbook photographer. Jack then attended Northeastern University, where he joined the university dive club cementing his life-long passion for scuba diving. It was at this time during a dive club party, Jack and Lois met and quickly dedicated their lives to one another. Through his stories about owning and running his own parking lot in Boston as a young entrepreneur, Jack showed early on his approach to life: work hard – play hard. Jack went on to work for much of his lifetime at a metal finishing company as Vice-President for Duralectra in Natick, Massachusetts until his retirement in 2002.
He is survived by his daughter Laurie Elliott (David DeGraff) and their children – Reece and Connor, of Brightwaters, NY; and his son, John W. Elliott III, and his children with Laura – James and Katherine, of Mansfield, MA. Cheekily proud of his moniker “Grumpy”, he was fiercely devoted in his love to the lives and interests of his four grandchildren.
John, Jackie, Jack, Grumpy will forever be remembered for love of family – most especially the love of his life, Lois; for his smart and inquisitive mind, for his friendships throughout a life well-lived, for his precise flattop, and for his fondness for quips and jokes in making others laugh every day of his life.
Please join the family in celebrating Jack’s life on Saturday, September 24, 2022, from 1-4 p.m. at:
Mansfield Elks Lodge
41 North Main Street
Mansfield MA 02048
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jack may be made to the National Library Service for the Blind (Library of Congress): Donate - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) | Library of Congress (loc.gov)
