John W. Sliwa, Jr. age 88 of Brockton, died Thursday December 27, 2012 at the Braemoor Rehabilitation & Nursing Center after a period of failing health. He was the devoted husband of the late Jean (Hartford) Sliwa. John was born in Northampton, Mass. and raised in Roxbury, a son of the late John W. and Stefania (Zak) Sliwa. Since 1973 he had been a resident of Brockton.
A 1942 graduate of Roxbury Memorial High School, John also attended Northeastern University and graduated from Feener Technical School in Boston. During WWII he served in the US Army in the European Theatre and was proud to be a heavy truck driver and member of the Red Ball Express which expedited supplies to combat troops in France.
John spent his career as a draftsman and control engineer. He retired from Compo Industries in Waltham and had previously worked for B.F. Goodrich in Waltham for many years. John had been a longtime member of the American Legion Post 128 in Mattapan and had been involved with the Sea Scout Explorers of the Boy Scouts of America for 35 years. In his free time he enjoyed reading, genealogy research and solving crossword puzzles.
John was the father of Janet Fantasia of Reading wife of the late Michael Fantasia, Jack Sliwa and his wife Carol Tosaya of Los Altos Hills, CA and Robert “Bob” Sliwa of Peterborough, NH. He was the grandfather of Lynn Fantasia and her husband Adam Calendrillo of Pleasant Hill, CA and Jeffrey Sliwa of Bedford, NH and the “great grandfather to be” of the baby boy of Lynn and Adam. John also leaves his siblings Paul Sliwa and his wife Karen of Lutz, FL; Elizabeth “Betty” Hallett of Turners Falls, MA and Eleanor “Dottie” Tabak of Portsmouth, RI. He also leaves many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held in the Conley Funeral Home 138 Belmont Street (Rte 123) Brockton Thursday 9:30-11am followed by a funeral service at 11am. Burial in Calvary Cemetery. John’s family would like express their gratitude to the staff of Braemoor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center for the exceptional care of their father and suggest that donations may be made in his name to the Patients’ Activity Fund 34 N. Pearl Street, Brockton, MA 02301.