John Baptist DiFrancesco Jr.

1947 - 2017

John Baptist DiFrancesco Jr.

Blackwell

John Baptist DiFrancesco Jr. went to be with the Lord July 28, 2017. He was born Feb. 23, 1947, in Brookhaven, Mississippi, to John Baptist Sr. and Wadie Bell (Calcote) DiFrancesco.

John graduated from Jesuit High School in 1966, and he was part of the first graduating class of nursing school at El Centro College. John went on later to receive his Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. He worked in nursing home administration for more than 40 years and was an integral part of the design operation of the Truman W. Smith Children's Care Center in Gladewater, TX. He also served as an administrator of the East Coke County Hospital District. John was a member of the San Angelo Cowboy Church, served on several advisory boards and has belonged to numerous civic organizations.

John was a Patriot and he served as a Navy hospital corpsman with the 3rd Marine Division during the Vietnam War. During the four years of his service, he was deployed all over Southeast Asia. John comes from a strong military heritage. His father, John DiFrancesco Sr., was on the Battleship USS Massachusetts in World War II and was in most of the big battles in the Pacific, Iwo Jima and Coral Sea. His brother, Joseph DiFrancesco III, served in the United States Marine Corp. John's son, John DiFrancesco III, served as a Navy Seabee. John was also elected to Commander of the 21st District of the American Legion in 2013. The 21st District is one of the largest in the nation, comprised of 27 counties in Central Texas.

John loved the ranch life. He owned DiFrancesco Cattle Company in Mount Pleasant, Texas and later Blackwell, Texas. The company provided agriculture livestock production, animal specialties products and service. There he oversaw the livestock, chicken houses and the exotic animals. John raised registered Brahman and Longhorns.

John was a loving father and grandfather. He was an avid collector of many items. He enjoyed watching John Wayne movies, especially the "Shootist." John fought a good fight but is now pain free and living with his mother and father in the kingdom of Heaven.

John is survived by his daughter, Tara DiFrancesco Day and husband Brandon; son John Baptist DiFrancesco III; grandchildren Jake Lee Day, Wade Scott Day, John Baptist DiFrancesco IV and Paisley Sue DiFrancesco; sisters Susan DiFrancesco and husband Henryk Borecki and Jennifer DiFrancesco Petersen and husband Ron; brother Joseph Michael DiFrancesco III and wife Margaret; uncle Joseph DiFrancesco Jr.; aunts Anna DiFrancesco, Nancy DiFrancesco, Josie DiFrancesco Centenaro and Gloria DiFrancesco Copley; nieces Katherine Anne Petersen Lara Alexandra Petersen, Wadie Ann DiFrancesco and Margaret Ann DiFrancesco; and nephew Christopher Wade Petersen.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John Sr. and Wadie DiFrancesco; maternal grandparents, Wade and Jennie Calcote; paternal grandparents Joseph and Bianca DiFrancesco; aunt Fannie DiFrancesco Merritt; and uncle Tom DiFrancesco.

Funeral service is at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017, at Rest Haven Funeral Home-Rockwall Chapel with Pastor Steve Bishop officiating. Interment will follow in Sparkman Hillcrest Memorial Park, 7405 W. Northwest Hwy, Dallas, Texas, 75225. The family will receive friends Tuesday morning at the funeral home from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.