John McNaught, Jr., 78

Proud Boston sports fan who enjoyed golf with the guys

MELROSE — John Joseph McNaught, Jr., 78, of Melrose affectionally known as Chap, passed away peacefully at home after battling pancreatic cancer on May 20 with his family lovingly by his side.

Born to to Beatrice (Maloney) and the Honorable John Joseph McNaught Sr. on March 9, 1946, in Boston. The oldest of three boys, John was a lifelong resident of Melrose and a pillar to the community he so dearly loved.

John attended St. Mary’s Elementary School, was a graduate of Malden Catholic High School and later attended Boston College where he was awarded a BS degree in accounting in 1967. Following graduation from Boston College John worked as an accountant at General Electric and as an insurance claims supervisor. He later received his Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1975. After his admission to the bar, John entered private practice and joined the law firm of Morrison, Mahoney and Miller rising to the level of partner. Subsequently in 1982 he became the city solicitor of Melrose and founded his own law firm, where he practiced with his father, brothers, sons and several nieces and nephews.

In 2013 he joined the Malden Law Department. John was appointed City Solicitor of Malden in 2022. Solicitor McNaught was a member of the Massachusetts Bar, the United States District Court for the Districts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. John was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the Middlesex County Bar Association, a member of the Board of Directors and past President of the First District Eastern Middlex Bar Association and a life member of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation.

When John was 7 years old, he met his wife Sandra Marie (DiBlasi) through his neighborhood friend and deceased brother-in-law Maurice DiBlasi of Melrose. They began dating at age 15 and married at age 20. John and his wife Sandra of 57 years, married in 1967 in a beautiful ceremony at their neighborhood church, Incarnation Parish. Together, they raised three children: Denise married to Ralph Cecere of Wakefield; John married to Nicole (Fowler) of North Andover; and Robert and his partner Tammy of Wilmington. John and Sandra are proud grandparents of 11 grandchildren: Joseph, Anthony, John, Nicholas, Hailey, Colby, Mya, Alyssa, Christiana, Michael and Robert, who lovingly call them Papa and Nuna.

John enjoyed coaching his sons in hockey when they were young and attending numerous Northeast School of Ballet performances with his wife and daughter. John was a proud Boston sports fan and loved playing golf with the guys when not working.

John was predeceased by his parents John and Beatrice McNaught and his inlaws, Philip and Santina DiBlasi. His memory will be forever held in the hearts of his surviving family including his brothers Stephen and his wife Beverly; Gerard and his wife June; brother-in-laws John DiBlasi and his wife Priscilla; and Charles DiBlasi and his partner Paul. His grandsons Joseph Cecere, Anthony Cecere, John McNaught, Nicholas Cecere, Colby McNaught, Michael McNaught and Robert McNaught will be pallbearers to accompany Papa on his final journey; and his granddaughters Alyssa McNaught, Christiana Cecere, Hailey McNaught and Mya McNaught will perform the readings and offerings of the gifts.

A service to celebrate John’s life will be held on Tuesday, May 28 at Incarnation Parish located at 429 Upham St., Melrose. A wake will be open to the public from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the church followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. John will be laid to rest at Forest Glade Cemetery in Wakefield following the services. In lieu of flowers, the McNaught family kindly requests donations be made to St. Jude to treat and defeat childhood cancer. To sign online condolence, visit gatelyfh.com.

John J. McNaught, Jr. will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and dog dad to Sunny. His life was well lived and he wanted everyone to know he loved them and felt blessed to have had a wonderful life with the best family and friends a guy could ever ask for.