John Pieraccini, Jr., 97, of Dartmouth, passed peacefully on March 14, 2016 at McCarthy Care Center in Sandwich. He was the husband of the late Shirley M. (LaFrance) Pieraccini.
Born in New Bedford, the son of the late John and Helen L. (Canavan) Pieraccini, he lived in New Bedford before moving to Dartmouth in 1967. He was a communicant of St. Mary's Church, South Dartmouth.
Mr. Pieraccini was formerly employed by Acushnet Process as a draftsman and was the proprietor of Pieraccini Variety Store. He later was employed by Fernandes Supermarket in the meat department for 15 years.
An avid golfer, he played weekly with the same foursome of Jack Sharples, Bill Duclos and Steve Sylvia for many years. He played football, baseball and basketball for New Bedford High School and the Murphy Club and also played in the Twilight League. He had been active as a coach in Little League and Pony League many years ago.
During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy in the South Pacific.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to friends, family, and neighbors who helped John and his wife during their later years.
Survivors include two sons, John F. "Jack" Pieraccini III and his wife Nancy of Pittsfield and Mark "Pres" Pieraccini and his wife Jane Moss of Greenfield; two sisters, Vivian Whalen and Jacqueline Scheider, both of Arizona; two grandsons, Scott Pieraccini and Josh Cormier; and several nieces and nephews.
He was the brother of the late Maxine Doran.
His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday at 10 AM at St. Mary's Church, South Dartmouth. Visitation will be on Friday morning from 8:30 - 9:30 AM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.