John Guy Polcari

JOHN GUY POLCARI

John Guy Polcari, age 87, of Coppell, Texas was called home to our Lord on May 2, 2015 in Irving, Texas. John, and his twin brother Anthony, were born on July 19, 1927 in Somerville, Massachusetts to Raffaele Polcari and Rosalia D’Antonio Polcari. In addition to Anthony, John had an older brother, Dante, and younger sister, Nancee. He grew up in Medford, Massachusetts during the Great Depression where he enjoyed drawing and playing football. John graduated from Medford High School in 1945 at the age of 17. On his 18th birthday, he was drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in World War II. He was discharged in 1947 and then entered Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. While at Tufts, John played on the offensive line for the Tufts Jumbos football team. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

After graduation, he set off to make his fortune at the Linde division of Union Carbide in Buffalo, New York. While working at Linde, he met an attractive young woman at the water cooler. They began dating and were engaged 3 months later. John and Anna Marie Sill were married on October 16, 1954 at All Saints Catholic Church in Buffalo. They lived for a short time in Kenmore, NY where they started their family and then moved to St Mary’s, West Virginia in 1956; to Marietta, Ohio in 1960; and eventually to South Charleston, West Virginia in 1968. John continued to work for Union Carbide and his family continued to grow. He spent much of his free time coaching his ten children in football, baseball and softball, and encouraging them in other athletic and academic endeavors. John was also a very devout Catholic, at times singing in the choir and serving as a lector at his local church.

John retired from Union Carbide in 1985 at the age of 58 after 34 years of employment. John and Anna continued to live in West Virginia and traveled often to visit with their children and grandchildren around the country. He was affectionately referred to as “St. John of the Hill” by family members. In May 2013, John and Anna sold the family home in West Virginia and moved to Coppell, Texas to live near many of their children and grandchildren.

John was preceded in death by his parents, Raffaele and Rosalia Polcari, by his brother Dante Polcari, and by his granddaughter Theresa Polcari. John is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years Anna Marie Polcari; by his children and their spouses, John and Madeline Polcari, Mary and Denis Dudley, Daniel Polcari, Peter Polcari, Margaret and Michael Herubin, Robert and Susan Polcari, Annette and Ben Bittle, Michael Polcari, Amy and Peter Ackling, and Cathy Scott; by his grandchildren, John David Polcari, Nicholas Polcari, Vanessa Polcari, Carolyn Polcari, David Polcari, Christina Herubin, Stephanie Herubin, Danielle Herubin, John Herubin, Andrew Herubin, Dominick Polcari, Angela Polcari, Andrew Polcari, Deanna Polcari, Maria Polcari, Jack Polcari, Patricia Bittle, Bo Bittle, Ben Bittle Jr., Mahlon Scott and Danny Scott; his sister and her husband, Nancee and Donald Greeley; his twin brother Anthony Polcari; and numerous nieces and nephews.

John’s faith in the Lord and dedication to the holy Catholic Church, his strong work ethic and determination, and his love of family, Italian food and the game of football live on through his spouse, children, grandchildren and many others that he touched during his life.

Visitation and rosary will be held on Thursday, May 7th, from 7-8:30 pm at St. Joseph’s Village Chapel, 1205 East Sandy Lake Road, Coppell, Texas 75019. Funeral Mass will be held at 11am on Friday, May 8th, also at St. Joseph’s Village Chapel. Internment will follow at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, TX 75211. Donations may be made in John’s memory to Catholic Charities of Dallas, 9461 LBJ Freeway, Suite 128, Dallas, Texas 75243, www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org