JOHN J. “JOHNNY BOY” STEVENS

John J. Stevens, fondly known to close friends and neighbors as ‘Johnny-Boy’, passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 13th following an intense battle with stage four cancer. John was born on Mothers’ Day, May 11, 1952. He was the third of five children born to the late David T. and Irene (Damrath) Stevens of Woburn, MA. John was raised in Saint Joseph’s Catholic Parish and attended grade school in East Woburn, graduating from Woburn Memorial High School in 1973.

While John was still in high school, he joined the Woburn Civilian Defense/ Auxiliary Fire Department, of which he remained an active member through 2007. During the course of his thirty-eight-year stint of service therein, he worked his way up the ranks, eventually becoming captain-in-charge. He volunteered his time conducting search-andrescue training, ladder drills, water rescue, and first aid training. His unit worked alongside the Woburn Fire Department at the scene of brush fires, house fires, and flooded basements, providing coverage when their apparatus were tied up at other emergencies. They also lent their presence and services at such civic events as parades, musters, Flag Day, and Fourth of July, to name just a few. John was a natural at all things mechanical. His repair and maintenance skills were utilized on the fire and rescue apparatus, as well as over the course of his full-time career in mechanical maintenance. This included Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company in Burlington, Shawsheen Valley Vocational Technical High School in Billerica, and a number of branch offices of Reading Cooperative Bank. On weekends he enjoyed working in the yard and riding his lawn tractor. He was habitually fixing things for the neighbors, assisting them with various home improvement projects, yard work, and snow removal. He was always on hand to join in neighborhood cookouts, block parties and milestone celebrations. He also enjoyed lighting off fireworks and dressing up as Santa Claus for his nieces and nephews. He was a good cook and took pride in decorating his home, both indoors and out, for each season and holiday. He was an avid fan of the Boston Bruins and Red Sox teams and enjoyed a broad spectrum of television shows, movies and music.

John met his wife, Stacey (Pomeranz) of Woburn (class of 1979) when she joined the Auxiliary Fire Department on June 16, 1980. They were married at Goddard Interfaith Chapel at Tufts University in Medford on that same date in 1984. Their daughter, Amber Rose, was born to them in 1986. In 1989 the family relocated from Woburn to Wilmington, in close proximity to Silver Lake, where they lived for the duration of their almost forty years of marriage.

John is predeceased by his parents, David T., Stevens, Sr. of Stoneham, Irene (Damrath) of Woburn, and his brother David T. Stevens, Jr., of Milpitas, CA. He is survived by his wife, Stacey, his daughter, Amber Rose, and her fiancée, Joe Robles, of Stoneham, his sister-in-law Sandy Stevens of Milpitas, CA, sisters Mary J. Parent of Salem, NH, Patricia A. Henshall of Plymouth, MA, Donna M. Paige of Henniker, NH, as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, and grand- nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, February 15th from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Nichols Funeral Home, 187 Middlesex Avenue, Wilmington. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, February 16th at 11:00 a.m. in Saint Thomas of Villanova Catholic Church, 126 Middlesex Avenue, Wilmington, followed by interment at Wildwood Cemetery, Wilmington.

The Stevens Family is deeply indebted to the Wilmington public safety personnel who responded to their home on numerous occasions to assist with lifts and transfers as well as to provide transportation via ambulance to Lahey and Winchester Hospitals. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to

The Wilmington Fire Department, 1 Adelaide Street, Wilmington, MA 01887. www.nicholsfuneralhome.com