John Thomas Ricciuti

John Thomas Ricciuti of Quincy, April 3, 2020.

John was born September 24, 1929 in Quincy, Massachusetts where he attended Quincy High School and played football. He played football at Northeastern University before joining the Army during the Korean War. Following the service, he completed his degree in business at Boston University, where he again played football. After graduation, John began working for the family business, the Hancock Monument Company, where he worked in Quincy and New Bedford offices for over 60 years with his brother and partner, Philip Ricciuti.  John was a leader in the Massachusetts granite industry, taught business administration at Fisher College for a decade, was an active member of the American Legion (Morrissette Post 294 in Quincy), and was a strident supporter of public education for special needs children. 

In 1959, John married Anita Fabrizio, the love of his life, and together they raised four children.  He is survived by Anita; his son John D. of Boston and his children Joseph, Peter and Jack; his son Michael D. of Milton, his wife Maureen, and their children Christopher, Michael and Kathryn; his daughter Natalie R. Ducharme of Quincy, her fiancé Michael Wohl, and her children Jonathan and Elizabeth; and his son Christopher P. of Summit, New Jersey, his wife Annette, and their children Sloane and Delaney. John was the youngest son of John and Anna (Gaudiano) Ricciuti.  Survived by his sister Marie D’Olimpio and brother to the late James “Pete” Ricciuti, Genevieve Palumbo, Philip Ricciuti, and Gloria Peleriti.  Brother-in-law to Joan and Daniel Fabrizio.  He also had several nieces and nephews. 

A fiercely loyal man, John’s first priority was the well being of others – his community, his friends, his family, and especially his wife, Anita, to whom he was joyously married for over 60 years.  A decade ago, Anita developed the first signs of dementia.  Through the throes of that frightening, debilitating disease, John remained Anita’s rock – even when she did not know him and mistook her loving husband for a threatening stranger.  For the last two years, Anita has been in a nursing facility. John spent every day, all day, with her except when he was hospitalized himself, during which his sole concern was returning to her bedside.  After his most recent hospitalization in March, John also needed institutional care and chose to join Anita in her nursing home room.  In his last days, hospitalization would have made him more comfortable, but John declined to leave Anita’s side, knowing that if he left her, he might never see her again.  He thus died as he lived, as an example of limitless love and loyalty.  Those who knew him were privileged to have had him in their lives. 

Funeral proceedings will be in Quincy, MA at date to be determined once the pandemic has passed.