John (Scub) Skarbinski of South Boston, formerly of Quincy, passed away peacefully Tuesday the 12th of January of the year 2021 at the age of 85. After seventeen years, he is reunited with his beloved wife Patricia Skarbinski (Alisio).
Loving son of the late Joseph (Gramps) Skarbinski and brother of the late Helene Joyce (Skarbinski). He is survived by his four children and their spouses, Jay Skarbinski and his wife Domenica of Hanson, MA, Michael Skarbinski and his wife Beth of Southern Pines, NC, his favorite daughter, Catherine Scieszko (Skarbinski) and her husband Joseph of Braintree, MA, and Michael Keiran-Fox of New York, NY. Pup/Papa-Scub, as he was lovingly called by his nine grandchildren, leaves behind Kristina Skarbinski and her husband Ryan Flanders, Victoria Skarbinski, Mitchell Scieszko, Jake Scieszko, William Skarbinski, Carolynne Bacon (Skarbinski) and her husband Jameson, Edward Skarbinski and his wife Hilary, Michelle Skarbinski and Meghan Skarbinski.
John retired in 2003, after working 41 years from the United States Postal Service, most recently as a clerk at the Quincy Post Office. He loved big band music and dancing the Polka. When he wasn’t cooking or enjoying the breeze on his front porch with a newspaper in hand and candy on his lap, you could find him walking around his favorite city, getting in his daily two mile walk for “therapy”. On his walks, he would frequently add to his pen collection. Scub was an active member of the Chippewa Club of South Boston, where he spent many a late evening chatting with his friends.
A longtime fan of all Boston sports, he hardly ever missed a Patriots Game in 60 years. He coached numerous teams in Southie and East Bridgewater throughout the decades. It was a great joy for him to see his children and grandchildren on the field. When he wasn’t coaching, you could find him cheering from the sidelines.
He spent his summers in New Hampshire, swimming in and boating on Newfound Lake, where it was always a race to see who would be the first one in. His favorite destinations were those with a beach, as he firmly believed salt water could cure everything. To Scubby, nothing was better than sitting seaside on Cape Cod or on a bench at Carson Beach and Castle Island. If he couldn’t take the T somewhere, you know he would be the worlds greatest backseat driver – don’t worry, he has a map.
After surviving a massive heart attack that Tom Brady induced in 2017 with the greatest Superbowl comeback in the history of the NFL and Lymphoma in 2018, it is with great sadness that John’s story came to a close due to complications related to COVID-19.
Of all of his accomplishments, John was most proud of his family. In his final days he wanted to make sure his family knew he loved them all and was proud of each and every one of them.
Please make donations in his memory to your choice of the following funds:
The Prostate Cancer Foundation
The American Heart Association
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Mass General Hospital