John S. Darisse

JOHN "Jack" DARISSE – US Navy Veteran

John "Jack" Darisse age 62, a Nashua, NH resident, was killed in a car accident Friday afternoon, August 9, 2013.

Jack was born in Connecticut on August, 7th, 1951 to Albert and Margaret (Arnold) Darisse. After the family's move to Massachusetts, he attended schools in Lowell and Tewksbury and graduated from Chelmsford High School in 1970. He played hockey as a defenseman and baseball as an infielder and was on several teams in State Championships. He and his two best friends, Lenny Nutter and Rick Kinney formed an unbreakable bond and remain as good friends today. He received an offer from the Boston Bruins, but the Vietnam War intervened. He joined the U.S. Navy and served 2 terms in Vietnam where he was a member of the "Brown Water Navy" serving on riverboats in the Mekong Delta. He was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts along with a Meritorious Unit Citation. He subsequently served on various ships of the Fleet, including the USS Gilmore, and the USS Spiegel Grove; his Navy career culminated on the USS Constitution where he served with pride as a Petty Officer 2nd Class.

He had two children, Tim and Danielle with his first wife Diane (Corfield) Darisse. After his divorce he married Debi Gray who he was married to for over ten years. During these times he attended University of Massachusetts in Lowell for a short time and played a few hockey games for the Maine Mariners, a Bruins farm team. He worked at JapEnameLac in Chelmsford, Quality Paper in Boston, SafeSite/Iron Mountain in Billerica, and Best Cycle in Nashua. He loved motorcycles, and enjoyed a stint racing them at NHIS in Loudon, NH where a crash with multiple injuries ended his racing career.

In April, 1997 he married Nina Bosworth, formerly of South Lyon, Michigan. Together they pursued lifelong interests in hockey, motorcycles, and muscle cars as well as their beloved canine companions Duke, Kodi, Chloe and Brandi. He and Nina were deeply devoted to one another. After a long time of questioning and seeking, he came to trust in God and joined the Nashua Presbyterian Church in the spring of this year. He particularly enjoyed the choir.

He is survived by his wife Nina (Nashua), son Timothy (Missy) and daughter Danielle Pinard (Gary) and their mother Diane Darisse; grandchildren Heather, Stacey, and Dylan Darisse and Ashley and Marina Sirois. Surviving siblings are Don Darisse, Sandra McKenzie (Fred), Margaret "Peggy" McDonald (David) and Ken "Harry" Darisse (Diane) all of Lowell, MA as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by both parents, by his brother Al "Buddy" Darisse (Maureen) and his sister Judy Beluda.