John J. Dymerski

1937 - 2024

John J. Dymerski

Haydenville, MA - John Joseph Dymerski was born August 1, 1937, in Haydenville, Massachusetts, the fifth of six children to Joseph and Esther (Kulash) Dymerski. John loved to play in the woods in Haydenville and fish and swim in Beaver Brook. John was an altar boy from age 12 until age 18 at St. Mary's Church in Haydenville. He graduated from Williamsburg "Burgy" High School in 1956 and was a star basketball player playing guard on a team that won the small school state tournament. The team was nicknamed "The Frosty Kids," and was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine. Many memorable games were played in a town hall built in the Revolutionary War days and heated by a big potbelly stove.Their basketball practices were outside, and they had to shovel snow off the court in the winter.

After high school, John followed his older brother, Leo, to Denver where John worked as a dance instructor with Arthur Murray Dance Studio. He gave lessons to a lovely young nurse, Glenda Neece. They were married on January 28, 1958, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver, CO. After daughter Cathy was born, the family moved to Portland, OR where their sons, Greg and Alan, were born. John worked for two fashion clothing stores and then took a managerial position at the new Nordstrom's distribution center in Bellevue, WA. The family moved back to Northampton and Goshen for a time where John worked in a home building supply store and played basketball again in local adult recreation leagues with his best friend and old high school teammate, Ray Heath. John and family later moved back to Portland, OR where he worked for 20 years as a top appliance salesman for Montgomery Wards. John was the fun dad on the block, putting up a basketball hoop at the end of the driveway and playing hoops with the boys. He was an avid baseball fan, not only cheering on his sons in little league games but a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Braves beginning when they were the Boston Braves. John cared for Glenda as her health declined until she passed away in 1992. John loved coming back to Massachusetts and seeing his family, old friends and teammates. After Glenda's death, John moved to Logan, Utah near his son, Alan and daughter-in-law, Mary. There me met Alice Johnston and they were married in 1996 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Logan, Utah. While living in Logan, they enjoyed many good years traveling around the West with their family. They both enjoyed birdwatching on their back patio. John loved playing slot machines and a good breakfast, preferably Elmer's, as long as they made the hash browns extra crispy. John also loved a good doughnut and was quick with a quip and his blue eyes had a twinkle. Alice took care of him as his health problems increased.

John passed away on October 3, 2024, at Maple Springs care center in North Logan, Utah. He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe and Esther; his siblings Joseph (infancy); Leo and wife Clarice Dymerski; Barbara Murphy and husband Justin; Doris Szarkowski; his first wife, Glenda and her sister and parents; his daughter, Cathy Curths; son, Greg Dymerski; and nephew, John Szarkowski; and niece, France Murphy. He is survived by his wife, Alice Dymerski; his son Alan Dymerski and wife Mary Donahue of Chadron, NE; his son-in-law Les Curths and daughter-in-law Yvonne Dymerski of Orondo, WA; his granddaughter, Natalie (Sam) Suiter and great granddaughters, E.J. and Delaney of Honolulu, HI; grandsons Ryan (Lianna) Curths of Beaverton, OR; Andrew Dymerski, Crystal Mountain, WA; Mikhael Dymerski, Buckley, WA; and granddaughter Alicia Curths and great grandson, Felix, Tigard, OR; his nephews Dan (Sharon) Dymerski, Littleton, CO; Steve (Ok Im) Dymerski, Aurora, CO; Mark (Monica) Dymerski, Arvada, CO; Paul Murphy, Boylston, MA; and nieces Arlene Murphy (Dale Maki), Boylston, MA; Sharon (Tom) Rooney; Cape Cod, MA; and Patty (Greg) Kallfa Westfield, MA. And Alice's sons Rob Johnston and Mike (Ceilla) Johnston, Utah.

John's youngest brother, Michael Dymerski, passed away March 13, 2025-5 months after John. A Mass for both John and Michael will be held at Our Lady of the Hills Parish in Haydenville, MA (where John and Michael were altar boys) on June 20, 2025, at 11 am. John and Michael will be interred in the Dymerski family plot at St. Mary's Assumption Cemetery in Leeds, MA following the service.