Dr. John Francis Maloney of Cooper City, Florida, passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 6, 2026, at the age of 95, in the house he designed and built, and where Rose, his beloved wife of 67 years, drew her last breath on February 17, 2024.

John’s life began a long way from there. He was born on April 24, 1931, in Brockton, Massachusetts, where the Depression had already become a way of life for the community of Catholic immigrants. His father, George Maloney, was a firefighter who broke his spine in seven places fighting the famed Strand Theater Fire when John was nine. From his father came a deep sense of service. From his mother, Lillian, came a deep faith in God; she prayed so often that, as John remembered it, her knees were creased from kneeling. That faith stayed with John for the rest of his life and gave him an unusual calm and confidence. He trusted God, prepared for what he could, and did not spend much time worrying about the rest.

At 14, John began attending a local all-male Catholic high school. The tuition was $75 a month, paid with money from a paper route he had started in elementary school and shared with his brother, Gerald. He graduated near the top of his class and earned a partial scholarship to Boston College. To cover the rest, John worked as a salesman at Edgar’s, a local clothing store. There, he met Rose. At the time, only male salesmen received commissions, even on sales made by the women working beside them. John gave those commissions back to the women who had earned them. Rose noticed.

After graduating from Boston College with a degree in history, John joined the United States Marine Corps. He served from October 1953 to December 1955 and, after earning the admiration of those around him, rose quickly to the rank of first lieutenant. John remained, to his last moment, a damn proud Marine. If you met him, you knew. His cane, his hat, his socks—all carried the Marine emblem. But as much as John loved the military, he loved Rose more. When she told him it was time to leave, he listened.

At 25, John became a teacher in Putnam, Connecticut, beginning a career built on the simple belief that education was a path to a better life. At Putnam, John won the respect of students at a school known for discipline problems. He had a way of making his authority felt without making himself distant. He later laughed about telling the captain of the football team on his first day that if he acted up, John would “whack” him—a line just edgy enough to show them that he could speak their language, but clear enough to set the tone. Underneath the performance, the students quickly learned that John cared about them and expected something from them. 

From there, he moved quickly. Before 30, he had become an assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent while earning his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. At 33, he became the youngest superintendent in Massachusetts, a distinction he held for nearly a decade. He would go on to lead school districts in Oxford, Cohasset, and Sharon, while also serving for 8 years as an adjunct professor at Boston State College. 

John was lauded for his superb budgeting skills and for a forward-thinking streak that often put him ahead of the times. When new classrooms were built, he pushed back against the idea that every room should look the same. A music room needed an elevated platform for a band. A science room needed lab tables and eyewash stations. He steered the curriculum away from Latin and toward languages he believed students would need in the world ahead: Spanish, Mandarin, and Russian. In Sharon, he gained recognition for working directly with Governor Michael Dukakis on a drug-prevention program that offered shorter suspensions to first-time offenders whose families agreed to professional counseling, an approach that proved highly successful and was soon adopted as a model by school districts across Massachusetts.

After retiring, John and Rose settled in South Florida, but as true snowbirds, they spent summers on Cape Cod, where they spent time with Rose’s sister, Carmela DelMastro, and her husband, Hector DelMastro, John’s best friend. Rose remained John’s partner in everything. He sought her advice, noticed the small things she did for him, never raised his voice, and tolerated no ill word against her. He cherished his grandchildren, too, and proudly displayed a doormat that read, “Grandchildren welcome, children by appointment only.” The feeling was mutual. His grandchildren spent time with him nearly every day. He helped with school assignments, took them fishing and to the gun range, brought them on vacations, and regularly summoned them to the “hot seat” in his office to help map out their futures. They heard his lessons so often they knew them by heart: have integrity; “to whom much is given, much is expected”; and spend your time thinking about how you can improve rather than explaining why you cannot. 

In addition to his family, John remained involved in his community. After moving to South Florida, he put his years as a superintendent to use helping the young and growing St. Mark Catholic Church expand its congregation and open an elementary school. He became a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and personally contributed to more than 150 social and charitable organizations—enough, the family joked, that he received more mail than Santa Claus.

John was what many would call a great American. He served his country, his community, and his family, and left each better for it. But he never carried himself as though any of that made him more important than anyone else. He treated people as equals and never spoke down to them. He did not brag about his own accomplishments; he delighted in yours. He was authentic to the core. Put on no airs. And always turned the other cheek. For all that John did in 95 years, what people will remember most clearly about him is the way he made you feel when you were with him—heard, capable, and safe.

John is survived by his brother, Gerald Maloney; his children, Diane Zarrilli and John Francis Maloney II; his grandchildren, Meggan Zarrilli, Angela Zarrilli, John Zarrilli, Anthony Zarrilli, Jack Maloney III, and Kate Maloney; and his loving nieces and nephews. The family is grateful to John’s many friends in South Florida and elsewhere, to his church, and to his devoted caregivers, Karen Johnson, Yolanda Frances, Juliette Williams, and Michelle Petinaud, who cared for him day and night. In lieu of flowers, if you so desire, memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark Catholic Church, 5601 S. Flamingo Road, Southwest Ranches, Florida 33330.

A brief viewing will be held at his church on Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 9:30 AM until Mass begins at 9:45 AM at St. Mark Catholic Church, 5601 S. Flamingo Road, Southwest Ranches, Florida 33330.

Followed by 12:15 PM Mausoleum Service at Our Lady Queen of Heaven, 1500 South State Road 7, North Lauderdale, Florida 33068 with Military Honors being rendered by the US Marine Corps Honor Guard.

Services entrusted to Boyd-Panciera Family Funeral Care, 1600 N. University Drive, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33024.