John Panteledes ... active in Roger Allen Baseball; at 79

EAST ROCHESTER - John Panteledes, 79, of East Rochester, died on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.
John, son of the late Michael and Helen (Plantanitis) Panteledes, was born on March 23, 1945, in Somersworth. As his parents passed when he was 5 (Mom) and 12 (Dad), John was raised by his siblings, especially his sister, Constance, whom he looked to as a mom. His unique, difficult experience transformed him into the hard-working, reserved, generous man we all knew him to be.
John was a graduate of Somersworth High School, Class of 1963, where he lettered in football and track. John enlisted in the Air Force on Sep. 6, 1963, and was an Airman First Class 804th Supply squadron at Grand Forks AFB, ND. He received the Airman Achievement Award (Nov. 1965), was nominated for SAC Pride Man of the year (1966) and was honorably discharged on Sep. 5, 1969.
John managed Lum's restaurant in Somersworth for the next nine years where he met the love of his life, Rhona, while she worked as a waitress raising her six kids. They wedded on Jan. 1, 1971, and proceeded to have two boys, giving them a family of eight. In 1978, John began his career at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he continued to work until his retirement on May 31, 2009.
A lifetime fan of the New England sports teams, John enjoyed simple pleasures with Rhona like vacations, the beach, listening to music and visiting family. A Rochester Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2011), John was a selfless man who coached Youth Basketball (1981-86), was Booster Club President for Spaulding Boys Basketball (1988-1991) and donated more than 40 years at Roger Allen Park in Rochester assuming many roles (Statistician, Little League coach, Treasurer, Consultant, Board Member). If you, or your kids, played Roger Allen Baseball, you knew (or knew of) John. As a coach, it was never about the wins and losses; it was about the kids experience and what they carried forward in life. John not only helped shape young athletes but also formed countless friendships and lasting memories.
John is survived by eight children: Sharon Sprowl, and her husband, Steve (Milton, NH), George Lovejoy, and his wife, Elva (Berwick, ME), Sandra Bickford, and her husband Gary (Rochester, NH), Gary Lovejoy (Lebanon, ME), Sheila Taylor, and her husband Tom (Dover, NH), Glenn Lovejoy, and his significant other, Teresa Mahoney (Rochester, NH), John Panteledes, and his significant other, Heather Young (Barrington, NH), and Brian Panteledes, and his wife Jill (East Rochester, NH); sister, Constance Villari (Hammonton, NJ); Sister-in-law, Barbara Panteledes (Somersworth, NH); 19 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren); and a host of extended family and friends he touched throughout his life.
John was predeceased by his wife, Rhona, his grandson, Brett Bickford, and his siblings, Arthur Panteledes, Artemis Welsh, Stamatia Matses, George Panteledes and Stella Panteledes.