John H. Pacheco Obituary

John H. Pacheco was faculty at New Bedford High School in New Bedford, MA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about John H. Pacheco.

School Role	Faculty
Date of Passing	Dec 31, 2018
About	John H. “Coach” Pacheco, 80, of New Bedford passed away peacefully on December 31, 2018 after a brief illness. He was born on October 21, 1938 in New Bedford, MA where he lived all his life. Father, husband, grandfather, teacher, storyteller and coach were the important roles he played in his life of service to others. He was a graduate of New Bedford High School’s class of 1959. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (SMTI) and received his Master’s degree in Education from Bridgewater State University. John excelled as a 3-sport athlete playing baseball, soccer, and basketball in both high school and college. John was a teacher in the New Bedford Public Schools for 38 years until his retirement in 2001. He began his career as a history teacher and then taught Distributive Education (School to Careers) at New Bedford High School where he had a major impact on many students’ lives by getting them their first jobs. John also worked as an education/job placement specialist for New Directions-Youth Services division for 18 years. Throughout his life, John was dedicated to helping the youth of the city. John was inducted in the New Bedford High School All Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 for his talents as a player and coach. John coached the NBHS Whalers baseball team to the 1970 Eastern Massachusetts Championship and the NBHS basketball team to the 1980 Eastern Massachusetts Championship. John was twice selected as Boston Globe coach of the year and BoSox baseball coach of the year. A 2006 UMASS Dartmouth Hall of Fame inductee, John played for New Bedford Tech then returned to coach the Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute and later Southeastern Massachusetts University Corsairs basketball teams from 1968-1972. Golf was another sport he mastered and where he could leverage his competitive nature. Coach Pacheco was the Golf Pro at Reservation Golf Course in Mattapoisett, MA from the early 1980’s until the early 2000’s. He enjoyed playing and winning many local golf tournaments over the years with close friends and family. John enriched so many lives with his wit, wisdom, and stories. He was a founding member of the NBHS All Sports Hall of Fame where he served as treasurer. He enjoyed reading, doing crossword puzzles, watching sports, and spending time with family and friends. John will forever be remembered for the impact he had on others’ lives. Survivors include his wife, Sharon Page, his son, John Pacheco and his wife Dana of Acton, daughters, Susan Pacheco of New Bedford, Karen Winsper and her husband James of Rochester, and Nicole Shank and her husband Michael of Martha’s Vineyard. He was the proud grandfather to Matthew, Eric, Nicholas, Joseph, Kathryn, Joshua, Julia, and Henry, and great grandfather to Makenna. He had many nieces, nephews, and close friends. He was predeceased by parents Joseph and Irene (Menard) Pacheco, sister Theresa, and brothers, Ronald and Adelard. Visiting hours will be from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 6th at Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Home, 495 Park St. in New Bedford. His Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, January 8th at Our Lady of Fatima Church, 4256 Acushnet Ave., New Bedford, with everyone meeting directly at Church. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the NBHS All Sports Hall of Fame c/o Richard Ponte, 50 Alice St., Dartmouth, MA 02747. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com. John's family requests that you leave a story or memory on the online guestbook.