An honest and loyal man who loved the outdoors
WAKEFIELD — John A. Benedetto, age 74, died peacefully at his home with his wife by his side on Thursday, February 16 after a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He also fought a thirteen-year battle with multiple myeloma, but with his positive attitude and gentle spirit, he never let it get him down, and continued to work and live his life to the fullest.
John was the husband of Debra J. (Abraham) in which they shared 47 years of wonderful memories, full of adventure, love and laughter. He was a lifelong resident of Wakefield, where he was president and general manager of the family business, S. Benedetto Sons, Inc. He was the son of the late Alfred P. “Gus” Benedetto and Agnes C. “Meuse.”
At the young age of 14, he started his career on school vacations, working alongside his dad, and as stories can be told, he could be found driving one of their 10-wheel dump trucks on several off-road job sites to the chagrin of the detail officers on site. He was a talented master mechanic and fabricator who could fix or design just about anything. If someone had a problem with any type of equipment they would say, “see ‘Johnny’ Benedetto”, he was an old fashion troubleshooter who never gave up until he fixed it.
John was an honest, loyal, and a quiet unassuming guy, he never bragged about his accolades, never had to tell people what he did for a living because they already knew. He was a talented artist crafting beautiful handmade knives and creating handmade leather goods, sheaths and accessories used in his hobbies.
His true love for life was the outdoors, where at a young age his dad showed him how to catch a few muskrats and he caught the bug of trapping. As a grade school youngster, he would walk the railroad tracks before school, all the way to Pleasure Island to check his traps, this love carried him through his entire life in which he owned a very successful animal damage control business specializing in beaver control and coyote problems. He was also a talented lure maker but as told by his wife, skunk was not on her favorite list of home air fresheners.
He was a highly respected sportsman and a trapper education instructor for Mass Wildlife for 40 years; he loved being able to teach the young and old his craft. In 2006 he received a certificate of recognition from the New England chapter of the Wildlife Society for his outstanding contributions and efforts in educating trappers, wildlife professionals and the general public on the importance of trapping and furbearer management. He has worked with the USFWS, was a past president of the Mass Trappers Association, and had been involved in several wildlife studies and been a contributor to the best management practices for safe and humane traps used across the entire country.
If you knew John, you knew his truck with his license plate “ADC 1,” he was the only guy that could buy a brand-new ford explorer from the showroom and within 48 hours, drill holes in the roof for safety lights, custom make roof racks and brush guards, paint the chrome a flat black and fill the cab with more survival gear than REI or Cabela’s has ever sold. He was truly one of a kind and has left a huge hole in the hearts of those who loved him so.
John leaves his wife Debra, his daughters Angelina Surette of N.H., and Amy Gibbons of Lynnfield. He is survived by six grandchildren Chris, Briana and Alexis Silva and Cameron, Madison and Kaleigh Gibbons along with three great grandchildren. He is also survived by six siblings, Mark, Thomas, Davy and Charles of Wakefield, Sante of Middleton and Alfred Meuse of N.H.
He is also survived by his dear loyal friends, Joe O’Neil and Mark Curley.
John was predeceased by his three “sons” (golden retrievers) Max, Rowdy and Randy – where they will meet once again and become a pack, roaming the bogs and pine scented woodlands on their new journey.
Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Thursday, February 23 from 4-7 p.m. Funeral service will be held on Friday, February 24 at 11 a.m. Interment, Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue Org., 110 Chapin Rd., Hudson MA, 01749.
