John M. Carlevale Sr.

West Greenwich, RI – John M. Carlevale, Sr., 82, died peacefully at home on Monday, November 10, 2025. Born in Providence on July 16, 1943, a son of the late John B. Carlevale and the late Amelia (D'Arezzo) Carlevale-Martinelli, he was also predeceased by his brother Ronald B. Carlevale and by his sister Dawn M. Carlevale. He is survived by his daughter Veronica C. Roddy & her husband Sean, his son John M. Carlevale, Jr. & his wife Lisa; his grandchildren Connor, Taylor and Caitlyn Roddy; and Ryder Carlevale, and by his long-time companion Susan C. Aiken.

John graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School and was a recipient of the Anthony Medal. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from URI. While an undergraduate at URI, he worked at Brown & Sharpe as a machinist. Upon earning his BS in 1968, he was offered a management training position at Brown & Sharpe, which he declined in order to begin his thirty-three year career in human services first as a Social Case Worker in the department of Social and Rehabilitative Services. In 1968 he helped lead the first successful Social Worker strike in Rhode Island and subsequently helped found the RI Chapter of the Social Service Employees Union International.

Following his orientation as a beginning social worker, John was selected to participate in a pilot project separating eligibility services from social case work services. The successful completion of this project resulted in a reorganization of social services for Elderly, Blind and Disabled clients with eligibility determinations made in a separate and distinct division from social case work services.

John was subsequently selected for a similar pilot project for services to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). He played a prominent role in this project by not only demonstrating how social casework services were to be delivered but also by helping to develop and then drawing the new organizational chart, which the Department used in its entirety in the reorganization of services to AFDC recipients.

After receiving his graduate degree in Child Development and Family Relations in 1971, John moved to the Division of Child Welfare Service to become the agency's first Child Development Specialist, a position essentially created with him in mind. This position was both a regulatory administration position and a consultation position. John was responsible for the promulgation and enforcement of laws pertaining to childcare, the licensing of childcare facilities; and served as a consultant to existing programs and applicants for licensure.

While in this position, he received a Federal Grant (the first of its kind for the Division) to study and revise existing childcare laws by engaging existing programs, childcare professions and other interested parties in a statewide licensing conference. This led to the first major revision of childcare standards since the law was passed in 1926. While in this position, John became a leading member of the childcare and early childhood education community.

During this phase of his career, John began teaching college courses at the University Without Walls at Roger Williams College; the University of RI; and RI Junior College where he helped develop the Child Development Certificate Program with Richard Archambault. Their affiliation became a lifelong friendship. In 1974 John accepted a teaching position in the Department of Educational and Social Services (later to become Department of Human Services) at RI Junior College (later to become Community College of RI). During his thirty-one-year tenure at CCRI, John authored a dozen books and was elected an unprecedented two times to Who's Who Among America's College Teachers.

During his professional career John co-founded and became sole owner of Tot-Lot Child Care Products and subsequently founded and owned Consortium Publishing, under which he edited and published many college textbooks in different subject matter areas by various authors. He also published a variety of other books.

Prompted by the closing of the credit unions in 1991, John began a new non-professional pursuit: the exercise of political citizenship and government reform activism. John was a plaintiff in Gill vs. the State of RI, a case which challenged the constitutionality of 155 RI Election laws. This case went to the US Supreme Court, which eventually decided not to hear it; however, this case has been cited many times in subsequent election law and ballot access challenges throughout the USA.

John was a founding member of Reform 92, under which he managed two political conventions in 1992 and 1994 for Independent Candidates with participation approaching nearly two thousand individuals each time. He wrote and published the program books for both events. John was also an active member in the Government Accountability Project; Operation Clean Government, Rhode Island Statewide Coalition; RI Taxpayers; Common Cause-RI; and other advocacy groups. John also sought elective office during this period: 1992; 1994; 2014 as candidate for Secretary of State; 1996 as candidate for RI Senate; and 1998 as candidate for Lt. Governor.

In 1991 John, along with Joe Devine, Don Gill and Robert Plante, founded State of the State radio and public access television shows (political and community issues programs) and in 1993 founded State of the State Communications, a non-profit corporation, which sponsored and produced the programs. In 1998 John assumed full responsibility for the award-winning television production and later the management of its website and online television channel and social media sites.

John loved and admired his children, grandchildren and very close friends. He also loved and admired many others who became his personal heroes, advisors and mentors, many of whom he met during his political activism years.

John especially appreciated the devoted and skilled members of his State of the State television production team, along with the PEG-RI Studio support team, who year after year volunteered their time and effort to produce award winning programs. John also loved his state and country, despite their shortcomings, because they are places where a child disadvantaged by poverty (like he) could become educated and successful and proceed to help others to do so as well. God bless America.

John leaves these words for his survivors to consider: Gratitude is the greatest virtue. Gratitude is the key to living a satisfied life. Be grateful for whom you are, for what you have, for whom you love and for those who love you and you shall want for very little in life. John believed as Mohammed did that "A man's true wealth is the good he does in this world."

His funeral service will be held at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick, on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 4:00 PM. Calling hours will be held prior to the service from 2:00 – 4:00 PM. Inurnment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Providence Rescue Mission, 627 Cranston Street, Providence, RI 02907 or to Rhode Island Community Food Bank, 200 Niantic Avenue, Providence, RI 02907. Condolences may also be offered to his family and favorite memories of John shared online at www.carpenterjenks.com.