John Francis Balaschak (Jack) died peacefully on May 9 with his loving wife, Nancy Lonuzzo Balaschak, by his side. They were married on October, 26, 1963 and celebrated 48 years together.

Jack was born to Mildred and John Balaschak in Meriden, Conn. on October 18, 1942. He was a longtime resident of Oak Bluffs and fishing was his life on Martha’s Vineyard. There is no one that he met while fishing that Jack did not immediately love and befriend. He was also an avid participant in the annual Striped Bass and Bluefish tournament on the Island. Cape Pogue, Squibnocket and East Chop were his favorite fishing spots and he will live on there doing what he loved best.

One of the things Jack appreciated most about the Vineyard was being able to live off the land, a way of life not possible in many other places. Catching fish, hunting, eating local produce, for Jack living off the land truly meant feeding your family. He delighted in passing on this philosophy to others. One of the great achievements on the Vineyard, he felt, was the herring run that Richie Madeiras initiated.

For many years, Jack worked at Pratt and Whitney in Hartford, Conn. Later he relocated his family to Ashburnham, Mass. and created a wonderful home for his family. Jack was also an avid participant in Civil War reenactments.

Jack was predeceased by his sister, Muriel Busa, of Southington, Conn. In addition to his wife, Nancy, he is survived by his daughter, Jacqueline of Martha’s Vineyard and Falmouth, her son, John Yarrington of Anaheim, Calif., and her long-time partner, Neil Flynn of West Tisbury; his daughter, Wendy McNall, her son, Jacob Fortier, a Green Beret serving in Iraq, her daughters, Olivia, Rachel, Michelle, Coco and Cheyenne, and her former husband, Peter Fortier; his son, Jeffrey Balaschak, an artisan woodworker in Manchester, N.H., his son, Lucas, and daughter, Nadine; his daughter, Jennifer, her husband, Brad Jones, and their daughter, Casey of Townsend, Mass.; his sister in law Diane DeLorenzo of Ormand Beach, Fla., and her husband Anthony; his brother in law Ronald Busa and his daughter Rhonda; his nephew, Thomas Delorenzo, his wife Nanette, and their children, Matthew and Kaitlyn; his nephew, Michael DeLorenzo; his great aunt Adeline Balaschak; and his many, many cousins, all of whom he loved very much.

There will be a short viewing at the John J. Mack funeral home in Gardiner, MA. on Saturday, May 14 from 9 to 11 a.m. A graveside service will follow at the New Cemetery in Ashburnham.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the History Channel’s Save Our Civil War Battlefields. Information can be found online.