John Joseph Passarella

John Joseph Passarella, 72, passed away from cancer with family by his side on September 28, 2020 in Durham, NC. John was born in Staten Island, NY on March 20, 1948 to Michael and Gertrude (White) Passarella. He lived a life full of humor and sacrifice for his family, friends, and country. Everyone who knew him knew they could depend on him, especially to lighten the mood and bring jokes to any situation.

At just 17 years old, John enlisted in the US Navy serving two tours of duty in Vietnam on USS Edson (DD 946). Around 25 years later, upon learning that Edson was a part of The Intrepid Museum in NYC, John became a volunteer, giving tours and participating in workdays to restore the ship. He enjoyed showing his family how he slid down the railings as a young man, and where he slept while serving his country.

Being back on his ship motivated him to locate his former shipmates. At a time before social media and the ease of reconnecting with people online, John took on the task of locating and building a network of everyone he could find who served on Edson. In 1996, he organized the first USS Edson Reunion. Approximately 80 people attended several days of events including a cookout on the ship complete with a water salute from the NYFD fire boats. This single event touched many lives and brought joy to many who served. Edson reunions continue to this day because of John’s hard work, dedication, and magnetic personality — traits that would propel him through his unique and successful career path.

As a young man leaving active duty, John joined the NYPD as a uniformed police officer, working his way up to plain-clothes detective. Working nights while obtaining a degree in Computer Programming from Staten Island Community College, he moved to the NYPD Management Information Systems Department. This experience led to John’s retirement from the force, and a Systems Programming position at Pan American World Airways where he worked his way into management.

Taking advantage of the perks of being a Pan Am employee, John and his wife Kathy traveled the world. They enjoyed many trips such as visiting London for a weekend, New Year’s Eve in the Austrian Alps, dinner in Rome, Christmas shopping in Hong Kong, a day on the beach in Rio de Janeiro, sightseeing in Caracas, Venezuela, and snorkeling in Hawaii.

Next, John worked for Grand Union in Wayne, NJ and attended Dominican College in Orangeburg, NY, obtaining his bachelor’s degree. John and his family moved to Cary, NC for Kathy’s new job, and John’s circle of friends continued to grow. In Cary, he was employed by Railinc, a division of the Association of American Railroads, as Director of Infrastructure and Security. John retired for the last time in 2011.

In his retirement John enjoyed spending time with his dogs, traveling, playing golf, riding his Harley, and being a member and officer of a motorcycle club.

John was loved by many, and was always ready to make people laugh. He will be sorely missed and survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy; brother, Michael; children, Robert (his wife Cathy), John Jr. (his wife Holly), Marc (his wife Kristine), Nick, and Lauren (her husband James Anton); grandchildren, Michelle, Joseph, Anthony, Hollin, Addison, and Brynn; and great-grandchildren, Lilah and Miles.

Due to current event restrictions and public health concerns, the family has chosen to forego a traditional service, have John cremated, and bring his ashes home temporarily. There will be a Celebration of Life scheduled for John when the people near and far that loved him can safely visit. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to St. Jude Children's Hospital, of which he and his mother were long time supporters.

Graveside Services, with Military Honors, were held on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at Raleigh Memorial Park. A hyperlink to the video can be found below under the heading of DONATIONS.