John "Jack" Scirocco

Dateline: Scotia, NY
John "Jack" Scirocco, age 84, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on September 19, 1941, in Schenectady, Jack was the son of the late John and Constance (Leone) Scirocco. He graduated from Mont Pleasant High School in 1959 and went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Niagara University in 1963. He later completed his master's degree at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. In 1963, Jack joined the Army National Guard in New York and New Jersey, and in 1965, he continued his service with the Army Reserves on Hillside Avenue in Schenectady.
Jack met the love of his life, Carol Malizia, on February 12, 1965, at DiAmante's restaurant-now Lucca's-on Nott Street in Schenectady. They married on June 25, 1966, and together built a beautiful life grounded in love, faith, and family while raising their three daughters.
A gifted and devoted educator, Jack dedicated his life to teaching and to the children entrusted to his care. He began his career at Mount Carmel Elementary School in Schenectady as a sixth-grade teacher, later continuing in the Schenectady School District for five years. He then spent 27 years teaching third grade at Fort Edward Union Free Elementary School in Fort Edward, NY. After retiring from the public school system with 33 years of service, Jack continued his vocation by joining Carol at Lil' Bits Daycare, the family business she established to help support their daughters' education. Together, they nurtured generations of children for an additional 17 years, giving Jack an extraordinary 50-year legacy in education.
Jack had a love of sports, especially baseball and basketball. His love of baseball began in childhood and became a defining part of his life. At just 12 years old, he and his Schenectady teammates won the 1954 Little League World Series Championship in Williamsport, PA-an achievement honored in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. His love for the game never faded. While proud to wear his Yankees ball cap, Jack loved baseball in all its forms and at every level. Jack also played basketball for Mount Pleasant High School and was a proud member of the "Starting Five" on the 1959 Championship Team. Jack cherished the friendships he maintained with his baseball and basketball teammates throughout his life.
Beyond sports, Jack loved woodworking, music, and family vacations on the beach in Maine. His pride and joy was always his family.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Carol (Malizia) Scirocco; his daughters, Michele (John, IV) Moynihan, Mia Scirocco, and Marisa (Christopher) Benoit; his grandsons, Cameron and Kieran Rhodes; and his sisters, Mary Jane Matousek and Madeline Chirico. He was predeceased by his brother, Peter Scirocco.
Relatives and friends are invited to call on Monday, November 10, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home, 21 Midline Road, Ballston Lake, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Saratoga Road, Glenville, NY. Interment will take place at Park Cemetery in Scotia, NY.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jack's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or Shriners Hospitals for Children, 2900 N. Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John "Jack" Scirocco, please visit our floral store.