John A. Driscoll

1940 - 2022

John A. Driscoll
John A. Driscoll, 82, of Cromwell and a former longtime resident of Middletown, passed away peacefully at home on June 12, 2022, after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease. John was the older son of the late James Douglas Driscoll and Loretta (Haggerty) Driscoll. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on March 4, 1940, he was raised in Westchester County, though he spent many summers with his Fitzgerald cousins in Marblehead, Massachusetts. A graduate of Pleasantville High School, John earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1962 as a member of the first class of the College of Social Studies. He prided himself on being the worst quarterback ever to play under legendary Wesleyan football coach Norm Daniels. Over the next twenty years, John studied as a Jesuit seminarian and received an M.A. in Political Science from Fordham University, taught at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, and was employed as a civil servant for the U.S. Office of Education and Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington, D.C. In Buffalo, he met Gina Lucchesi; they married in 1969 and started a family before ultimately returning to his alma mater in 1982. There, as Wesleyan's Alumni Director for thirty-three years, he found his calling—connecting people and building community. An engaging speaker, storyteller, and writer, John exuded warmth, good humor, and could find common ground and shared interests with everyone. One of his favorite roles was teaching the Wesleyan "Fight Song" to incoming students. Upon his retirement in 2015, he was recognized as an Alumni Director Emeritus. He and Gina received the Raymond E. Baldwin Medal for extraordinary service to Wesleyan in 2017. A superfan of Wesleyan Cardinal Football, John attended as many games and practices as he possibly could. His full-throated "Let's go, Wes!" was unmistakable from behind the endzone. A thrill of his life was the 2019 naming of Driscoll Gate on Andrus Field in his honor.
In both his work and home lives, John was often late because he stopped to chat at length with someone on the way. In Middletown, he was a member of Kiwanis and the Conversational Club. He eagerly researched Middletown, Wesleyan, and Civil War history. Before Parkinson's, he was an avid distance runner, completing three marathons and countless shorter road races. John loved travel, playing golf with Gina and son Douglas, and was a true believer in the power of a short nap, anytime, anywhere. He enjoyed a good walking stick and bestowing nicknames upon family and friends. In addition to Gina, his absolute rock over some fifty-two years, John is survived by his children, David Driscoll (Willow Cheeley), Laura (James) Taft, and Douglas Driscoll; his sister-in-law Grace Haymes and family; grandchildren Lenora, Clara, and Eli; two nieces, a nephew, and cherished Fitzgerald and Driscoll cousins. He was predeceased by his brother and sister-in-law, Henry Driscoll and Susan (Dahlgren) Driscoll. A memorial service and celebration of John's life will be held at a later date. It was John's wish that any memorial contributions be made to the Freeman Driscoll Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship Fund, and sent to: Wesleyan University, Office of Advancement c/o Ann Bertini, 291 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457. To share memories or express condolences online, please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com