Jack DeRosa

Jack DeRosa, 76, of Seabrook, NH passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday. May 7, 2023 at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. Jack was born in New Haven, CT on February 4, 1947 to the late Jack S. DeRosa and the late Amelia (D’Amato) DeRosa. He attended Hillhouse High School and graduated in 1965. He was a graduate of the Connecticut School of Electronics and then earned a degree in Business Management at the University of New Haven. Jack was very proud of his father, who was a decorated and wounded WWII veteran. For his service, Jack’s father earned a Purple Heart and other medals of honor. Because of his father’s selfless service, Jack carried a special place in his heart for veterans throughout his life. 

Jack had a long and successful career in the manufacturing industry. He was a Vice President at Stone Safety Electrical Corporation overseeing the creation of HVAC systems for rail systems in Wallingford, CT in the 1980s. In the 1990s he shifted to leading teams and a factory at Elliptipar, Inc, a high-end custom lighting company that designs, engineers and manufactures advanced luminaires. Jack loved his work, and especially enjoyed having his children Erica and David experience and work alongside his staff in the factory as teenagers. He was the kind of leader who knew everyone’s name, their kids’ names and family happenings, and who caringly looked after those who didn’t have their own families.  

The center of Jack’s world was his family. He was lucky enough to have met his wife of nearly 52 years, JoAnn, when he was a very young man. It was love at first sight, and they were married in 1971 in Orange, CT. They had 7 years of adventures before starting a family and settling down in Cheshire, CT, where they lived for four decades. He was an enthusiastic supporter of his wife’s work as a middle school guidance counselor and eagerly participated in decades of activities and laughs with her, the students, and faculty. As a father, Jack was “all in”. He was an involved and proud dad who supported both Erica and David’s education and extracurricular interests. He loved helping his kids with school projects and eagerly cheered them on in athletics and the arts. 

Upon retirement, Jack and JoAnn moved to a beautiful neighborhood with wonderful people in Seabrook, NH, to be closer to their children, grandchildren, and the beach. He and JoAnn enjoyed long walks with their beloved shih tzu Bodhi, listening to golden oldies music, and sitting at the beach together. Favorite times were spent with their kids and grandkids at the beach, on summer vacations to Nantucket, and in the custom playroom that they lovingly built for them. 

Anyone who knew Jack - at any point in his life - would describe him as a person who was always in motion. In his professional career, he was always walking around the factory floor with a customer order in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other. In retirement, he leaned into cooking and was stationed in the kitchen every day making a steady rotation of his famous chicken cutlets, homemade meatballs, or fried eggplant, which were enjoyed by everyone. He was happiest when he was feeding everyone, being together, and joking around. His grandkids would request his special chocolate chip pancakes in various shapes, and he always obliged. He adored anything lemon, and would drink coffee at any hour of the day. 

Jack is survived by his wife of 52 years, JoAnn (Neclerio) DeRosa of Seabrook, NH; daughter Erica DeRosa (Andrew Teman) of Needham, MA; son David DeRosa (Nicole Grossi) of Newburyport, MA; four adoring grandchildren Ariana and Valentina DeRosa of Newburyport, MA and Violet and Winn Teman of Needham, MA; his sister, Maria Rossi (Joseph) of Hamden, CT, brother-in-law Dennis McCarthy, Sr. of North Carolina, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his sister Joanne (DeRosa) McCarthy.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the Twomey, LeBlanc, & Conte Funeral Home located at 193 High Street, Newburyport, MA 01950. All are welcome to attend Jack’s Funeral Mass will be held on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:30am at Immaculate Conception Church located at 42 Green St, Newburyport, MA 01950 with burial to follow at Oak Hill Cemetery, Newburyport, MA. 

Special thanks to the Seabrook Fire + Rescue for their immediate emergency response, and the Portsmouth Regional Hospital ICU team. For those who wish to honor Jack, please consider a gift in his memory to The Wounded Warrior Project, a non-profit dedicated to serving veterans  and building homes for wounded/deceased veterans and their families.

For directions or to offer online condolences please visit www.tlcfuneralhome.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Jack DeRosa, please visit our floral store.