Hickey, John, April 17th Jamaica Plain, MA. Died peacefully at age 74 with his loving wife Kathy and many cherished friends at his side. Born in Geneva, NY (1949) he is survived by his wife of 30 years, Kathy McDonough, his brothers Charles (Janice Dolan) and Jim, nephews Michael and Colin (Colleen Daly), and great-nephews Flynn and Beau. John was predeceased by his two brothers Thomas and Robert.

John was the son of Charles Hickey and Nan Quigley Hickey, and the middle of five boys. He graduated from De Sales High School (Geneva, NY) in 1967 and the University of Albany in 1971. Drafted into the navy in 1972, John served during the Vietnam war decoding the Russian language while living in Scotland and Turkey.

He moved to Boston in 1978 where his first job here was clearing snow off the T tracks. Soon after, he earned his teaching degree at Lesley University. His first teaching job was at The New England Home for Little Wanderers where he made lasting friendships and met his wife Kathy. Kathy and John's love was built on a deep admiration for one another. They built a life together of adventure and deep and lasting friendships.

John ended his teaching career at the Riverdale School in Dedham where he retired in 2016.  He was a talented and caring teacher who loved reading books to children. During these years, he was also very active in the teachers' union, organizing workers for better working conditions, always guided by a sense of fairness and justice.

John was a dedicated runner for 50 years and greatly enjoyed 36 years on his JP softball team playing pitcher. He enjoyed the game but loved the relationships that he built and hanging around on the field with teammates in the summer evenings.

John was an avid and dedicated reader of books on history and politics, which nurtured his strong sense of ethics about world problems and everyone's responsibility in solving them. John also was a lover of movies and jazz. His favorite movies were On the Waterfront and Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Evans and Miles Davis were the top on his playlists.

John and Kathy led a happy and meaningful life together in their Jamaica Plain home, enjoying backyard gardening, grilling, hosting friends, and quietly sitting together on the back porch at the end of the day.

Diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019, John courageously tried to keep to his routines and remain independent. He continued to develop relationships with all of those he met on that journey - whether caregivers, medical professionals, or others with dementia.

John was known for his gentle and kind spirit. He had a genuine interest in the lives of those around him and made them feel listened to and accepted for who they were. As a friend, he was loyal, dependable, and always there when needed. He had a way of making others feel valued and loved, and his presence in their lives was a true blessing. The loss of John will lay heavy on the hearts of the many people's lives that he touched, he will truly be missed.

A memorial service will be held on Friday June 2nd at 10 o'clock in the morning, at the First Church in Jamaica Plain. 6 Eliot St. ( https://firstchurchjp.org). There is area on-street parking and two public lots nearby (behind Blanchard's Liquors and behind CVS).

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Dementia Patient and Care Partner Resource Fund at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Gifts can be made online by visiting https://give.brighamandwomens.org (there is a drop down where you can write "Dementia Patient and Care Partner Resource Fund" and another drop down for "In Memory of…" ).  Or checks can be made out to Brigham and Women's Hospital and mailed to the Brigham Development Office, 116 Huntington Ave, 3rd Fl Boston MA 02116 (Note "Dementia Patient and Care Partner Resource Fund" in the memo line).

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