John J. Pitts

Pitts, John J. of Hull, MA, formerly of Mashpee, Brockton and Quincy died on November 18, 2015. 

Beloved husband of the late Grace L (Madden) Pitts for 64 years. Loving Father of Regina Amaral and her husband, the late Kenneth Amaral of Hull; Michelle Hallamore and her husband Scott of Stonington CT; John Pitts and his wife Kate of Mashpee and Denise Mortenson and her husband John of Mendham, NJ. Grandfather of Beth Urban, Scott Hallamore,Jr, Leah Hallamore, Matthew Pitts, Philip Pitts, Philip Mortenson, Erin Mortenson, Robert Mortenson, Daniel Mortenson, and Great-Grandfather of Kira Urban, Timothy Urban, Anna Grace Urban, Tallulah Pitts, Cole Pitts, Rowan Pitts and Shealey Pitts . He is survived by his brother William and his sisters Joan, Evie, and Mary. He was predeceased by his parents Jeremiah and Mary of Quincy and his brother Albert and sisters Charlotte and Noreen.

John grew up in the Adams Shore section of Quincy and started working at Quincy Shipyard before joining the U.S. Army in 1945 during WWII. He served with the 11^th Airborne Division, deployed as an occupying force in southern Japan in 1945/46. After returning to the United States, he married Grace Madden of Squantum in 1948. He earned an Engineering degree from Northeastern University and spent most of his career working in the electronics and semi-conductor manufacturing industries, retiring from Digital Equipment Corporation in 1990.

Growing up playing pond hockey, he was an avid supporter of the Brockton Youth Hockey Association in the late 60’s and early 70’s, volunteering as a coach and referee. He was also the first coach for the Stonehill College Hockey Club in the early 70’s. An inventor and environmentalist, he worked tirelessly on his invention for a residential waste treatment system during his retirement years. Above all, John was the quintessential family man and his greatest pleasure in life was spending time with Grace and his children and grandchildren – especially on summer vacations to Cape Cod or Sebago Lake ME. A man of great humility, he would often refer to himself as “just an old clam digger from Adams Shore”, but he touched many lives with his positive outlook, humor and willingness to help anyone at any time.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Sunday 2-6 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:30 AM Monday prior to the Funeral Mass in St. Ann’s Church, Quincy at 10:30 AM. Burial in Mt. Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Orphans of Father John Baptist Bashobora, of Uganda. Checks should be made payable to the Marian Community, 154 Summer Street, Medway MA 02053, Father Bash Foundation in the memo line.