John David Murgo passed away at home on Saturday, August 1, 2026. He was the son of the late John and Helen (Colicci) Murgo, brother of the late Barbara Murgo Tannenbaum, and husband of Mary Jo (Regan) Murgo.

John was born on October 7, 1932, on Ridge Street, close to the center of Federal Hill in Providence, RI. He was born into a home of 17 people, which consisted of grandparents and several aunts and uncles living on various floors.

In 1942, John and his family moved to St. Mary’s Parish, near the city’s Olneyville section. As a teenager, John often played on the baseball fields of Valley Street, Merino Park, and Bucklin Street, but mostly at the field on Parade Street. While in grammar school, John played for St. Mary’s. He then proceeded to play baseball for Prato A.C. of the Junior Amateur League. John also played for Hope High School, from which he graduated in 1950. He then attended the University of Rhode Island in Kingston for two years.

At the end of the Korean War in June 1953, he entered the U.S. Army, at first being assigned to Fort Devens, MA and then to Fort Dix, NJ for basic training. After completing the training program, John was transferred to Camp Gordon near Augusta, GA, where he completed the high-speed radio operator program for the Army Security Agency. One of the requirements of the program was to be able to send messages at 72 words per minute and to receive them at 80 words per minute.

John was then shipped to Germany. While on the merchant marine vessel (which was carrying American automobiles), he discovered that he would be going to Bremen first. John then took the train from Bremen to Frankfurt. He was assigned to Bad Aibling in Bavaria until 1956. As he was tired of doing code, it was recommended that John be head of Dependent Affairs, where he helped married U. S. Army personnel find housing.

John spoke very fondly of his time with the U.S. Army in Germany. He regaled his family and friends with stories of his many memories there, including those of his military personnel friends, local German residents, and excursions that he was able to make to other European nations during his time there, including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and Italy. John also often went on excursions to Munich, Vienna, and Salzburg. In 1956, he received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army. From the late 1980’s to mid-2000’s, he was able to visit or return to visit European cities such as Vienna, Salzburg, London, Dublin, Killarney, Brussels, Paris, Munich, Prague, and Budapest.

John returned to the University of Rhode Island in 1956, and he graduated with a B.S. in Industrial Management in 1958. He stayed in touch with a few of his URI friends for the remainder of his life.

He received an M.S. from the same institution in 1960. John then worked at Raytheon in Waltham in the late 1950’s, and he first began his teaching career at Roger Williams College in Providence in 1960. He was head of the economics and business division for two years. John was also head of the economics department at Wentworth Institute of Technology from 1964-66. He received a master’s in education from Boston University in 1967, and he also taught part-time at Northeastern University, Dean (Junior) College and Quincy (Junior) College.

John was the first assistant to the president at Massasoit Community College when it opened in 1966. He taught economics and sociology at Massasoit until his retirement from full-time teaching in 2001. John was chair of the social science department for many years and served on many committees during his years at Massasoit. He also served as a mentor to many students. John continued to teach at Massasoit as adjunct faculty until 2008. During his teaching career, John was also a member of many professional societies, including the New England Historical Society, the New England Sociological Association, and the American Economic Association.

John married Mary Jo Regan in Cambridge in 1965. They had two daughters, Susan J. Hall of Halifax, MA and Stacey A. Thorner of Ashland, MA. The family lived in Newton and Sharon before moving to Duxbury in 1973, where at different points John was a member of both the Taxpayers’ Association and the Men’s Club. He was a big supporter of Duxbury High School girls’ tennis and his daughters’ biggest fans.

John loved to sing and in the 1990’s he performed in community theatre, both at Massasoit Community College and with Bay Players in Duxbury. He appeared in musicals such as “The Mikado”, “1776,” “The Pirates of Penzance,” “On the 20th Century,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.”

John was knowledgeable about anything that had to do with economics, finance, history, and baseball. He was also very well-informed about current events, and his mind was always active. John participated in many courses offered at the Duxbury Senior Center, both as an instructor and student, and he made new friendships in town with people at various points of his life.

Besides his wife and daughters, he leaves his sons-in-law Ross F.S. Hall of Halifax, MA and Brian R. Thorner of Ashland, MA. John also leaves his grandchildren, Benjamin Z. Thorner of Washington, DC and Caroline L. R. Thorner of Los Angeles, CA.

A Funeral mass will be held for John at the Holy Family Church in Duxbury on August 18th at 10 am, followed by a Burial at the Mayflower Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, any donations may be made to:

Cranberry Hospice 32 Cordage Park Circle, Suite 326, Plymouth, MA 02360.