June 1, 1931 – March 2, 2000
John A. Massiwer, Sr. was born in June 1931 in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Sarah (Sapag) and George Massiwer. He had three sisters, Sophie Hallal, Lily Massiwer, and Dianna Hashway; and three brothers, Mitchell, Emil, and Abraham. The family settled in Pawtucket, RI, and worshiped at St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church, where John was an Altar Server and later a member of the Parish Council. A graduate of Pawtucket East High School, John also served in the US Coast Guard.
John met his wife Mary (Matook) Massiwer at a Pawtucket Vets Club dance. He asked her brother Leon Matook, a classmate of his, to ask if Mary might be willing to go out with him. Leon told him to ask her himself and the rest is history as they say.
John and Mary Massiwer, devoted to each other and their family for 48 years.
In September 1952 John and Mary were married at St. Mary’s and shared 48 years of loving marriage until his passing. John and Mary have six children: five daughters Maureen E. Gurghigian (Paul) of Lincoln; Cindy Lee Hayes (Donald), Mary L. Franklin; and Diane B. Andrew (Thomas) all of Pawtucket; Laura A. Arrighi (James) of Narragansett and one son, John A. Massiwer Jr. (Patricia) of Cumberland. Their children and grandchildren were their focus throughout their lives together and John worked diligently to provide for them.
John enjoyed reading, cooking, playing cards, and was a crossword master. John was a news and current events enthusiast who followed politics from afar until his daughter ran for office and he wrote all the press releases, arranged coffee hours and motivated and encouraged the organizers. Travel with Mary and the family was an important part of his “R&R” and they enjoyed many trips to the Caribbean and South America with Aruba becoming a special vacation spot. He was also very close to his siblings and in-laws and all his nieces and nephews.
Many of those nieces and nephews and extended family members got their first job working for Uncle John at the Slater Park concessions, driving the train or merry-go-round or cooking at the food stand. Raising six children, John often held two jobs simultaneously. He was known to his friends as a man of action, never idle, always busy. In fact, one of his nicknames was Johnny Action. John began his retail career at City Hall Hardware and William K. Toole in Pawtucket and became a Buyer and Merchandise Manager for National Hardgoods Stores, later NHD, in Newton, Massachusetts. He finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning his own business when he founded the Discount Mart on Dexter Street in Central Falls.
At the Discount Mart he was known as the “Mayor of Dexter Street,” and learned Spanish to better serve his customers. He also rose early once or twice a week to pick up discounted prior day baked goods at a supermarket to give them to his customers and people in the neighborhood near the store, such as the housing for the elderly. Some of those people might not have eaten that day, if it had not been for his generosity and desire to give.
A devoted husband, father, son, brother and uncle, John’s greatest joy was to be surrounded by family and extended family and having their children and children’s children “round about their table”. John passed away in March 2000, but his legacy has been maintained by Mary and their children and grandchildren, active members of the Parish Community.
John was a man of ideas and a visionary who zealously considered the future in all his actions; it is only fitting that he be remembered through the Charitable Gifting Program.