John Charles Cleary

John Charles Cleary
Whitesboro, NY
John Charles Cleary, 86, of Whitesboro, passed away December 7, 2025. He was born November 02, 1939, in Utica, NY, the son of Daniel Wade Cleary and Anna Marie Noel Cleary. While in High School and College he worked at Brill Clothes, Pfleeger Office Supply, Abelove's Laundry, and West Ed Brewing Company. He graduated from Blessed Sacrament Elementary and Utica Catholic Academy High School. He attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, before transferring to Utica College where he obtained a BA in Physics. He then obtained an MS in Physics from Syracuse University.
He worked for 38 years for Rome Laboratory and the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate at Griffiss Air Force Base as a Physicist/Engineer. He worked in radar cross section research, ground-based radars and was Program Manager for Space Based Radar research. He then became a Supervisor of the Electromagnetic Effects Branch. He spent his last two years working on joint international research. He is a member of the Irish Cultural Center, Adirondack Mountain Club, National Geographic Society, Sigma Pi Physics Honor Society, past senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Computer Simulation Society. John is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 189. On January 27, 1962 he married Irene Rozanski in New York Mills, NY, a blessed union of 63 years. He was a member of St. Paul's Church, Whitesboro.
He is survived by his wife Irene; Daughters Colleen (Clifford) Bond in Chesapeake, VA; Lisa (Mike) Wilson in Castleton, NY, and son Tom Cleary in Washington DC. He is also survived by 6 grandchildren: Colleen's family [Kelly (Jeremy) Cockrill, Meghan (Chad) Matheson, Geoffrey (Katlin) Bond, Emily (Ryan) McCullom] and Katya and Joseph Wilson. He is survived by great-grandchildren Alexis, Layla, and Jeremy Jr. Cockrill; Phoebe and Cheyenne Matheson; Cash and Stella McCullom; Maddox Bond. He is survived his sister Margaret (Mark) Decker, brother-in-law Bill Kazmierski, sister-in-law Janet Cleary and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was pre-deceased by a sister Patricia Cleary Kazmierski, a brother James Cleary, a sister-in-law Patricia Rozanski Doyle, a nephew Joseph Doyle, and a brother-in-law Edward Rozanski.
John's greatest joy was spending time with his family. John loved camping and traveling with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Between work and personal travel, he visited every state except Nebraska, North Dakota, and Minnesota. He visited over 20 countries: 16 European countries, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and several Caribbean Islands.
He did Genealogy research and published a 540-page Family History on his family and a 200-page book on his wife's family.
His Funeral mass will be celebrated Monday, December 15 at 11 AM at St. Paul's Church, Whitesboro. After the Funeral Mass, please join us for a receiving line to offer condolences to the family. Arrangements are with the Dimbleby Funeral Homes Inc. 40 Main St. Whitesboro.
Interment will be in St. Stanislaus & Casimir Cemetery at a later date.
Those desiring may consider memorials to St Jude Children's Research Hospital
For online expressions of sympathy please go to www.dimblebyfh.com