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Purcellville Deacon John Vassallo dies at 78 of COVID-19

Zoey Maraist | Catholic Herald Staff Writer

Deacon John “Jack” F. Vassallo, who died Jan. 8, is seen with his family at his granddaughter Marianna’s first holy Communion. COURTESY

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Deacon John “Jack” F. Vassallo of St. Francis de Sales Church in
Purcellville died of COVID-19 Jan. 8 at age 78. He is survived by his wife of
53 years, Barbara, their two daughters, Barbara McNally and Anne Marie
McKinnon, and four grandchildren. 

Deacon Vassallo was born Dec. 14, 1942, in Newark, N.J. He grew
up in New York and New Jersey. He attended McQuaid Jesuit High School in
Rochester, N.Y., Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y., and Fordham Law School
in New York City. In 1969, he served in the Vietnam War as a civil affairs
officer. He later had his own law practice in Willingboro, N.J. He was ordained
a permanent deacon May 17, 1980, for the Diocese of Trenton and served 34 years
in Corpus Christi Church in Willingboro. 

In 2015, he and his wife moved to Northern Virginia to be closer
to their children and grandchildren. He served at St. Thomas à Becket Church in
Reston until the fall of 2020 when he was transferred to St. Francis. 

Deacon Vassallo was assisting Father John Paul J. Heisler,
parochial vicar of St. Francis, at Mass Dec. 6 when he fell ill. “He read the
Gospel very strong, but when he came up to read the prayers of the faithful, he
really struggled (then) and for the rest of Mass,” said Father Heisler.
“(Massgoers) noticed something wasn’t right, and volunteered to drive him home
back to Herndon. The last thing he did (before heading to the hospital) was
celebrate Mass as a deacon.”

Father James R. Gould, pastor of St. Francis, described Deacon
Vassallo as a wonderful man who made a great impression on the parish in the
short time he was there. At the time of Deacon Vassallo’s death, some 40
families were praying a novena to St. Martin de Porres for his recovery. Father
Gould administered anointing of the sick to Deacon Vassallo in the hospital. In
a letter to the parish, Father Gould recalled the visit.

“His lovely wife, Barbara, was exemplary in her example to her
children and those in the medical community. She herself had survived
(COVID-19) earlier and was allowed to be at her husband’s side in the
restricted room. The rest of us stood outside the windows watching the dear
wife say goodbye to her husband, with a rosary held in their hands,” he wrote.
“It was a most beautiful sight.”

Barbara Vassallo is a nurse practitioner and a volunteer at
Catholic Charities’ Mother of Mercy Free Clinic in Manassas. Their daughter
Anne Marie works for the diocese as a planning manager. 

Father Heisler was very impressed by the late deacon’s character.
“From the first moment I met him in the sacristy, I immediately appreciated his
directness, his humility, really his down-to-earthliness, his fatherliness but
greatest of all his desire to serve, being a deacon after the example of St.
Stephen, St. Lawrence and St. Vincent,” he said.

Deacon John F. Vassallo gets a bite of pizza with Fr. Mark E. Moretti, parochial vicar of Christ the Redeemer Church in Sterling. COURTESY FR. MARK E. MORETTI

deacon john pizzaAttend the funeral

A visitation will be held Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. followed by a
funeral at 11 a.m. at St. Francis de Sales Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct.,
Purcellville. 

 

 

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