John R. Massaua

John Roger Massaua age 77 of Stratham, NH, by way of Amesbury, MA, went to Glory on January 13, 2025, at High Pointe Hospice House in the company of his loving and prayerful spouse Janice and his children after a 7-year mêlée with Pulmonary Fibrosis, a progressive chronic disease of the lungs, which as it evolved, rendered it more and more difficult for him to breathe.  

Born in New York City on August 7, 1947 to the now deceased George and Dorothy (Coyle) Massaua, he was ever grateful for both his supportive parents nurturing his development and encouraging his love of Jesus as he grew up commonly in Bergenfield, NJ. Married on a snowy Easter Sunday in 1970 to the bright and beautiful Janice (Vroom) of Bergenfield, together they shared a life of loving, working, child-rearing, giving, caregiving, and believing, that was embraced by their mutual trust in Jesus, reinforced by the habits of Marriage Encounter, strengthened by frequent worship, and ameliorated in senectitude by Cursillo (St. Basil’s, Methuen, MA). 

By the grace of God, he is survived by his spouse of 54 years: Janice; his children: Matthew (Renee) of Villanova, PA, and Andrew and Meghan, both amazing New Englanders; along with his grandchildren: Joseph, Cecilia, Thomas and Peter; his older sibling: George; his nephew: Steven (Liz); his nephew: Chris (Julie); and his niece Liz (Jon). “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) Family matters, he was proud of each and every one who provided meaning to his life. Ay, he deeply regretted the predeceasing of his two mischievous pug dogs: Otis and Rosco. 

He was schooled for the greater glory of God at two Jesuit institutions: Fordham Preparatory School (Class of 1965) and Fordham University School of Business (Class of 1969 – BS/Marketing). He later attended graduate school at Fairleigh Dickinson University’ Silberman College of Business (Class of 1973- MBA/Management) and received Certificates from Babson College (Price-Babson Entrepreneurship Educator), the Kauffman Foundation (Certified FastTrac Instructor) and the New England SBDC Bloc (Certified Master Business Counselor). He was a Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine Alum (Class of 2003).  

He was proud to have served 5-years with the Fighting 69th, the legendary NYANG Irish Brigade based in New York City with roots that date back to the Civil War, as well as one year with the CT Army Reserve before being honorably discharged, having achieved the rank of Sergeant. 

John cut his teeth in the supermarket industry and then spent 30-years in senior-level positions within vibrant retail and wholesale enterprises, covering a gamut of business matters encompassing entrepreneurship, sales, merchandising, marketing, operations, logistics, communications, strategic development, and general management. His many successes included the introduction of the first combination food and drug stores in New England; assiduously functioning as a founding officer of Staples, the Office Superstore; effecting the major financial turnaround of a fledgling multistate specialty retailer; and his consequential involvement in the leveraged buyout of Fortune 100’ McKesson Corporation’s consumer products division.  

After thirty years in the corporate world, he downsized his financial motives and moved to rural Maine to serve as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Counselor in one of the US’s 1000 Congressionally mandated business advising/training hubs. After six months, his constructive coaching caught the attention of the Maine command: SBA, ME DECD, and USM; they appointed him as the State Director of the Maine SBDC. For the next eight years, officed at the University of Southern Maine, he led Maine’s 11 centers in professionally assisting pre-venture entrepreneurs and small business owners on their journey of accomplishment, before concluding his career as an independent business consultant. While at USM in addition to SBDC responsibilities, he taught as a professionally-qualified (PQ) professor at the School of Business, and for two years served as the Board Chair of the national Association of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC). 

Considering “service to humanity as the best work of life”, he was committed within both community and faith-based volunteer activities. He was a founding member/officer of the Beacon Falls (CT) Jaycees, a member of the Waterville (ME) Rotary Club and a long-term member/officer of the Amesbury Lions Club. As an adult leader in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, he helped prepare youth for life. He was a Vincentian, a Cursillista and an active parishioner engaging in tending to the Lord’s vineyard to the best of his ability. While on the Board of Amesbury’s Our Neighbors Table, he functioned full-time as the volunteer Project Manager for the construction of its award-winning Market, crafted to provide sustenance to the area’s food insecure; over his twilight years, he catalyzed St. Basil’s annual Evening of Remembrance in memory of people who took their own lives; and of late, he was a legislative advocate and finance committee member for the nationwide Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), while locally being a cofounder of the New England Gills for PFF to promote regional awareness and significant funding for the PFF.  

John received many awards and recognition, which included Lions International Melvin Jones and Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship Awards, he was most proud of being honored by the United States Senate in a Floor Statement recognizing him for his “years of commitment and hard work in providing entrepreneurs with the management and professional expertise required to achieve success.” He was proud, as well, to have been appreciated by Maine’s 123rd Legislature in SLS 470 for his leadership in Maine SBDC’s achievement of “national recognition as an effective and worthwhile investment of taxpayer dollars.” 

Visiting hours will be held Friday, January 17 from 4 PM to 7 PM to include a brief Prayer Service at 6 PM at the Highland Chapel of Paul C. Rogers Family Funeral Home, 2 Hillside Avenue, Amesbury, MA. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 18 at 1 PM at St. Joseph Church of St. Andre Bessette Parish (formerly Holy Family), 2 School Street, Amesbury, MA. A private Rite of Committal (Burial) will be held at a later date in Calvary Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. 

The Family appreciatively requests in lieu of flowers, charitable donations be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation through the PFF’s select Tribute Page honoring John at https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/PFFTribute/JohnMassaua, together toward a cure.