"Just learning of John\'s passing. He is a cousin I dont believe I\'ve met since I was a child while living in Fall River area. My condolences and love for John and his family. Gary White"
In loving memory of
John Anthony Lyons
October 15, 1942 - August 29, 2020
John A. (Jack) Lyons, Jr, age 77, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2020 in his home in Rixeyville, VA, after a seven year battle with cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange.
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, he was the son of the late John A. Lyons and Phoebe Boardman Lyons. He was preceded in death by his lovely wife of 35 years, Linda E. Enlund. He is survived by his sons J. Christopher and Stephen M. (Jenna) and his four grandchildren Elise and Andrew Lyons and Caleigh and Gracyn Lyons. His four surviving sisters, Mary Lyons, Frances L. Sammons, JoAnne Lyons, and JoEllen L. Hunt all live in Rhode Island.
After graduating from the University of Rhode Island, Jack joined the United States Army in 1965. He served 7 years, first in Vietnam and later at the Pentagon. His began his civilian career at Xerox Corporation in Washington, DC area where he rose from sales to management. In retirement Jack was well known to his customers at Harris Teeter in Warrenton, VA and appreciated by the young people he mentored there.
Later in life Jack lived simply but with great purpose. He began each day with a prayer of gratitude and looked forward to another day to meet people, engage in conversation, and maybe make life a little easier for someone else. People who knew him for even a short time loved his storytelling, his sense of humor, and his sincerity.
On September 9, 2020, Jack's funeral mass was held at St. Barnabas Church in Portsmouth, RI, and he was buried at Hillside Cemetery in Tiverton, RI with his wife and his parents.
The family sincerely thanks Capital Caring Hospice and the nurses from First Light Home Care of Warrenton for the attention, kindness and support they gave Jack in his last two months. They also recognize Hero's Bridge, a wonderful volunteer non-profit that gave significant help to Jack this past year, especially in times of Covid-19. Its mission is to care for older veterans by providing transportation to medical appointments, advocacy when dealing with the VA, and companionship to those who no longer have family nearby. Donations may be made in Jack's memory to Hero's Bridge, P.O. Box 861606, Warrenton, VA 20187.
Tributes
"I miss Jack very much. Over the past year (and a bit more), I was Jack\'s \"battle buddy\" from Hero\'s Bridge. I met him in 2019 a few weeks before his wife Linda passed, and I drove Jack to medical appointments, visited him, and went to lunch with him. During our trips and visits, he shared many wonderful stories with me, about his childhood, his sisters, his parents, his sons, and, of course, Linda. For so long, he was positive and strong. Even in the last week or two, as he grew weaker, he had a positive outlook. I still remember his smile on August 24 when I asked him if he had talked with his sisters lately. It was a smile that said \"well of course\" and conveyed how much he loved and appreciated them. "
"Jack was the only one of the Lyons family that I did not know, but judging from the sisters and the parents, he must have been a wonderful person. Mary and I have known each other for over 50 years, and I can tell from her stories about her brother that he was a courageous person who always tried to find the best in everything that came his way. My condolences go out to the family in this time of sadness. "
"Jack was a wonderful person and will be greatly missed. One thing the obituary did not mention (sadly) was his dog Max, a 150 pound Newfoundland dog. Jack and his deceased wife Linda loved all of their dogs. They adopted Max from Colonial Newfoundland Rescue and he was Jack\'s best bud. When Jack was well he and Max would go on walks together. Max would get upset when Jack was not with him. Thankfully Max was able to say goodbye to Jack and had closure. Max is almost 12 years old. Prayers sent to Jack\'s family and Max. "