John J. Kazlauskas

WORCESTER -- John J. "Jack" Kazlauskas, 59, of 2 Rutland Terrace, a longtime city funeral director, died Friday, March 4, in his home after a fourteen month battle with pancreatic cancer. He leaves his wife, Barbara A. Kazmierczak; three sons, Christopher D. Land - Kazlauskas and his wife Joanne of Carouge, Switzerland, John J. Kazlauskas, Jr., of New York, New York, and Michael F. Kazlauskas of Worcester; one daughter, Megan A. Pesce and her husband Mark of Melrose; a brother, Worcester Fire Lt. Joseph W. Kosloski and his wife Linda of Worcester; two grandsons, Nicolas M. Land - Kazlauskas and Andrew J. Pesce. He was born in Barnstable and has lived in Worcester all of his life. He was predeceased by his mother and father, Ann M. (Petit) Kosloski and Stanley A. Kosloski. Mr. Kazlauskas was President and Chief Executive Officer of Dirsa - Morin Funeral Homes, Inc., a Worcester funeral service company. He became a funeral home owner in 1972 when he purchased the Dirsa Funeral Home on Providence St. in Worcester. In 1986, he purchased the Morin Funeral Home on Grafton St. forming Dirsa - Morin Funeral Homes, Inc. He continued to expand his family business and in 1996 purchased Henry Funeral Service on Ward St. Since 2002, the funeral homes have operated from two locations Dirsa - Morin Funeral Home on Grafton St. and Henry - Dirsa Funeral Service on Ward St. He graduated from North High School and was a 1966 graduate of the New England Institute in Boston where he received his funeral service education. He became a licensed embalmer and funeral director in 1967 and earned his Certified Funeral Service Practitioner status from the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice in 1999. He was a member of the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards and was its current Past President and District 1 Governor. He is also a member and past three-time Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Embalming and Funeral Directing. He was the first board member to receive a Governor reappointment to the board for a third consecutive term. He was a founding member and first president of the Greater Worcester Funeral Director's Association, was a member of and one time director of the Massachusetts Funeral Director's Association and was a board member of the National Funeral Director's Association. He was also a member of Selected Independent Funeral Homes and the British Institute of Embalmers. He was a member, past president and board member of the Worcester Host Lions Club and was a member of the Grafton Hill Business Association, the UMASS Memorial Hospice Advisory Board, the Worcester Senior Center - Friends of Seniors, the Knights of Lithuania, Council 26, the Lithuanian Charitable Society and the Lithuanian Social Club. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, March 8, with a concelebrated Mass at 10:30 a.m. in St. Casimir Church, 41 Providence St. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery. Calling hours in the funeral home are Monday, March 7, from 2 to 8 p.m. in HENRY-DIRSA FUNERAL HOME, 33 Ward St. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mass. Lions Eye Research Fund, Inc. c/o William T. Murphy, Treas. P.O. Box 6050 New Bedford, MA. 02742, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Research Center, 55 Fruit St. Boston, MA. 02114 or to a charity of the donor's choice.