Shrewsbury – Guy “John” Pistone passed away October 24, 2020, at the age of 87. John was an intelligent, strong, and caring man. He was a devoted husband to his wife of over thirty years and a proud father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and mentor.
He found endless joy participating in, and coaching, sports of all kinds, but especially long-distance running, track and field, baseball, swimming, tennis, and football. He was also passionate about politics, education, fairness, and equal access to all in youth sports.
John loved to read, to learn, to watch movies, to travel, to swim in the ocean (no matter how cold the water), to listen to music, to paint, to enjoy the arts, to be with friends and family, to be in nature, and to notice the stars and the gentle movement of the grass in a late summer breeze.
He prided himself on his strength and perseverance, but, at the end of the day, he found the greatest value in the company of his family and friends.
John was born on June 24, 1933 and grew up in Somerville, Massachusetts. He was a handsome and focused boy who loved to play sports in the streets with the neighborhood boys until sunset and time for dinner. The YMCA was his second home. In the evenings, John listened to radio broadcasts of baseball games. Early on, he established lofty athletic goals, faithfully doing calisthenics morning and night. This established a routine he followed and advocated well past the age of 80.
Eventually, John followed his father’s military footsteps and proudly served in the U.S. Army, 11th Airborne Division. John’s athleticism served him well in the military. In turn, John used the skills he learned in the military, such as team dynamics, communication, motivation, and perseverance throughout his life.
John, a scholar-athlete, earned a B.S. in Psychology from Tufts University in 1958. While at Tufts, John captained the cross-country and indoor track teams and was a starter on the varsity baseball team. In 1962, John earned a M. Ed. Counseling at Bridgewater State University.
Throughout his life, John held numerous teaching, counseling, and coaching positions at the youth sports, high school and college levels, including coaching the Men/Women’s Cross-country Indoor/Spring Track Teams at Tufts University from 1966 to 1981. He also consulted on fitness and health for corporations and individuals. He trained individual elite track athletes and tennis players. Encouraging, inspiring, and informing,
John mentored young athletes, mature athletes, and hopeful athletes alike. John also earned countless awards in long-distance running and track and field as a coach and a participant-competitor.
Throughout his life, John was also a businessman. In addition, John was a sales representative for over twenty years for First Data Corp.
John is survived by his wife, Jane Ward, and their son, Guy Pistone (Jennifer); John’s children from a prior marriage, Mark Pistone, Ilse Pistone, Lee Mosbe, and Sheila Pistone-Pirzadeh (Peter); grandchildren, Gabrielle, Monique, Sophia, Stephanie, Willow, Harley, and Gaetano, VII; his sister, Diane Powers (Richard); his niece, Sheila Powers Richardson, and his nephew, Michael Powers (Lynn); and many dear extended family and friends. In death, John joins his son, David Pistone.
John’s family and friends will deeply miss John’s vibrant and spirited presence; however, his legacy lives on through the inspiration and mentoring he enthusiastically shared with his family and dozens of others throughout his long life. Although heart broken, John’s family and friends will carry on, honoring the positive attitude and fortitude John espoused to the end.
In lieu of flowers, donations in John’s honor may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at http://alzfdn.org/support-us/donate/.
