John Joseph Crowley

CROWLEY, JOHN J., 74, passed away Sunday, July 30, 2017, at the Rhode Island Veterans Home, Bristol, R.I.Born in Providence, R.I., he was the son of the late John J. and Margaret M. (O'Shea) Crowley. He was the loving husband of 49 years to Mary (Lamberti) Crowley. He was the father of Patrick Crowley of Boston, Mass., and Maryellen Palmer and her husband, Ryan, of Cranston. He was the loving grandfather of John T. Palmer. John was the brother of Mary Canole and her husband, Michael, of Cranston and Kathleen Hemingway of Greenville. He was predeceased by his brother, Robert Crowley, and his sisters Geraldine Crowley and Patricia Izzi. He was the brother-in-law of Kathleen Crowley of Coventry and the late John Izzi of Warwick. He was also predeceased by his brother-in-law Charles Lamberti and sister-in-law Theresa (Lamberti) Giles of Albuquerque, N.M. He was the loving uncle to 10 nieces and nephews and 14 grandnieces and grandnephews.He was a graduate of La Salle Academy (class of 1961) and Saint Michael's College (class of 1965).After graduating from Saint Michael's College, John taught at St. Mary's School in Cranston from 1965 to 1966.On July 14, 1967, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. At the beginning of his service he served as a training officer at Fort Bliss in Texas. He proudly served as Infantry Unit Commander for Company B, 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry, 7th Infantry Division of the 8th United States Army. In July 1968, he was promoted to First Lieutenant. John had 13 months of overseas service and was stationed at the Korean DMZ during the Vietnam War. John was honorably discharged from service in July 1969.After leaving military service, John taught history from 1970 to 1990 at Ferri Middle School in Johnston. During the summer break in 1978 he served as a park ranger with the National Park Service at Hovenweep National Monument in Utah. After retiring from teaching, John worked at Durfee Hardware Store in Cranston.John was a member of the Irish Ceilidhe Club of Rhode Island. During his time there he served as bartender, vice president, and president. For more than 20 years he volunteered his time at the St. Patrick's soup kitchen on Smith Hill in Providence. In 2008 he was awarded the Sister Maria Frances Conway Humanitarian Award for his service.He was a communicant of St. Matthew's Parish in Cranston.A sincere thank-you to the staff of Unit N3 of the Rhode Island Veterans Home, especially Joe Ryder, Ursula Sousa, and Jennifer Jones.His funeral will be held on Friday, at 8:45 a.m. from The Russell J. Boyle & Son Funeral Home, 331 Smith St., Providence, with a Mass of Christian burial to follow at 10 a.m. in St. Matthew's Church, 1299 Elmwood Ave., Cranston. A burial with full military honors will follow at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Exeter. Visitation Thursday evening from 4 - 8 pm.In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John's name to the Rhode Island Veterans Home, located at 480 Metacom Ave., Bristol, RI 02809.