CHICOPEE – John Joseph “John Joe” Monaghan, 86, of the Willimansett Heights section of Chicopee, was Called Safely Home on Saturday, November 7, 2020. He passed into Eternal Life at home surrounded by the care and comfort of his loving family. He was born in Belmullet, County Mayo, Ireland on May 18, 1934, a beloved son of the late Patrick and Anne (Reilly) Monaghan. He was raised and educated in Surgeview, Ireland and had worked in Scotland and England before moving to Holyoke in 1963. He later moved to Willimansett Heights in 1970 where he lived the remainder of his life. He was employed with Daniel O’Connell Construction in Holyoke and had later worked at Finast Warehouse and also in the Seafood Department at Stop and Shop Supermarket in Chicopee. Active in his Catholic faith, he was a communicant of the former Saint Mary of the Assumption Church and currently was a communicant of Saint Anne Church, both in Chicopee. Proud of his Irish heritage, he was a member of the John Boyle O’Reilly Club in Springfield where he enjoyed many nights of Irish dancing, watching Irish football, playing pitch. He also loved listening to the Healy’s Irish Program on Saturday mornings and was an avid New York Giants fan. He was also proud of his adopted country and became a U.S. Citizen in 1977. Above all, he loved spending time with his family and his many friends. John Joe’s family would like to extend their deepest thanks to New England Hospice in Hingham for their compassionate care of him while he was home. He leaves his beloved wife and best friend, Cecelia J. “Celia” (O’Toole) Monaghan. They were married on May 7, 1966 at Sacred Heart Church in Springfield and were blessed with over 54 years of happiness together. He also leaves his five loving daughters, Angela M. Coderre and her partner, Robert Tauscher, and Rosanne Antunes and her husband, Christopher, all of South Hadley, and Karen Hedges and her husband, Robert, Sharon N. Monaghan and Katrina C. Monaghan, all of Chicopee; his eleven cherished grandchildren, Jeremy Coderre and his wife, Lori, Zachary and Collin Coderre, Darick Antunes, Matthew Antunes and his wife, Justine, Gregory and Thomas Antunes, Colleen Hedges and her partner, Joseph Lucena, Nathan Hedges, Austin Monaghan and Braeden Vargas; his six cherished great-grandchildren, Caleb, Amber, Joselyn, Evalee, Alora and Ava; his dear brother, Michael Monaghan and his wife, Bridie, of Chicopee; his three dear sisters, Mary Curran of England, Bridget M. Ritter of Palmer and Sheila Conway and her husband, Harold, of Chicopee and Florida; his dear brother-in-law, Frank Ginty of England; and his many dear brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, cousins, extended family members in the U.S., Ireland, and England; and his numerous dear friends. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his dear brother, Patrick Monaghan and his wife, Mary; his dear sister, Ann Ginty; and his dear brother-in-law, Ronald R. Ritter. His Funeral will be held on Friday, November 13, 2020 beginning at the St. Pierre-Phaneuf Fairview Chapels, (413-533-3307), 506 Britton Street, Chicopee, MA 01020, (funeral home will open at 8:30 a.m.), followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Saint Anne Church, 30 College Street, Chicopee, MA 01020. His Burial will follow the Mass at Saint Patrick Cemetery, 168 Fuller Road, Chicopee, MA 01020, (please note that masks are required, social distancing must be observed at the funeral home, church and cemetery, attendance is limited due to state regulations). His family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday, November 12, 2020 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The funeral home parking lot is located in the rear. His family requests that memorial donations be made in his memory to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or the Shriners Hospital for Children, Specify Springfield, 516 Carew Street, Springfield, MA 01104. For more details and to leave his family online condolences, please visit: www.stpierrephaneuf.com