John V. Attardi, 98, of South Hadley, Massachusetts, formerly of Brooklyn, New York, passed away at home on February 1, 2026, surrounded by family and friends. Born on April 18, 1927 in Brooklyn, NY John was the son of Emmanuel and Angelina Attardi, Sicilian immigrants. His family owned and operated its own business, a shoe store called Attardi Bootery, on Avenue U in the Gravesend section of Brooklyn, where John sometimes worked. He seemed to work at almost every other shop on the avenue in his youth as well. He was always a very generous man, dating as far back as when he was a young boy keeping a tab with the hotdog wagon on the corner so he could buy hot dogs for his friends. He proudly served in the US Army during World War II, stationed in Livorno, Italy. A born leader, he quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant and ran a German Prisoner of War Camp. Upon returning from the War, he completed his undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College, and after spending several years working for the NY Board of Education, continued to earn his MSW and LCSW from Fordham University. During his career, he went from being a school psychologist to becoming the head of the NY Board of Education’s psychological staff for all of Brooklyn. He simultaneously had a private psychological therapy business for 25 years. He ran the Teen Night Center at the local High School for many years to keep the kids off the streets and even gained the respect of the local “Ave U Boys”.

In 1952, John married his beautiful wife Fay, to whom he was married for 49 years, and together they raised their two children, Claudia and Gary. A devoted father and grandfather, John enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, most notably at his summer house in Lake Hopatcong, NJ, going on vacations and sailing on a pontoon he purchased and sailed on the Connecticut River when he moved to South Hadley. John was an avid Yankee fan, enjoyed friendly poker games, loved good food, enjoyed watching movies especially westerns, had a voracious sweet tooth and shared many interesting stories of his life with family and friends.

When John relocated to South Hadley, he joined the Knights of Columbus and quickly became involved in multiple facets of the organization, including working the Bingo night snack stand, distributing Tootsie rolls, serving Spaghetti Night sauce and ultimately becoming a dedicated member of the Honor Guard. John was predeceased in death by his parents, his wife Fay, his brother Alphonse and his sister Flo. He is survived by his daughter Claudia (partner Joel) and his son Gary (wife Flora), his grandchildren Kristin, Ann (husband Patrick), John L.  and Lyndsey and his nephews, their wives and children.

He helped many, was respected, loved and admired by many and had many friends. He always had a smile on his face and was a man people could rely on. He was very proud of his heritage and his family. Nothing intimidated him. He never said a bad word about anybody. He was kind, generous, caring and a fantastic test taker. There will never be another man like him.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026 from 4:00-7:00 pm at O’Brien Family Funeral Home in South Hadley. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 9:00 am at St Theresa’s Church in South Hadley. Interment to follow at Notre Dame Cemetery, South Hadley.

In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners Children’s.