February 14, 2025

John Petraitis

Posted

John Petraitis, 96, of Rehoboth, passed away on January 22, 2025 at Rhode Island Hospital. He was the husband of the late Claire (Marion) Petraitis.

Born in Sunderland, MA., he was the son of the late Victor and Helen (Juraitis) Petraitis, as well as the brother of the late Charles Petraitis and the late Edward Petraitis. John was a 65 year resident of Rehoboth and an active member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Seekonk.

John was a 1946 graduate of Amherst High School and led the basketball team to the western Massachusetts championship game during his senior year. A 1958 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge, he worked as an assistant golf course superintendent at Metacomet Country Club in East Providence after graduation. He supervised the building of the Crestwood Country Club golf course, designed by Geoffrey Cornish, at the former Lush Acres Dairy Farm in Rehoboth during 1959. John continued to serve as the head golf course superintendent at Crestwood from the inaugural 1960 season to the end of 1994. A 66 year member of the Rhode Island Golf Course Superintendents Association, he was also a long time member of both the New England & the America Golf Course Superintendents Associations.

An accomplished golfer, John enjoyed occasional winter golf outings to Hilton Head Island and was in attendance of several Masters Tournaments in Augusta. During his retirement years, he enjoyed watching many of the PGA Tour events. He also took on the retirement project of teaching both his grandchildren the game of golf, who while sometimes reluctant during their early years now value these skills, but more importantly value that time that they got to spend witheir grandfather. A lifelong Celtics & Red Sox fan, he was born the same week and year in August as Bob Cousy.

John is affectionately survived by his son Jeffrey of Rehoboth, his grandson Justin and wife Jessica of Cumberland, and his granddaughter Jennifer of Taunton. He was also the caring Uncle of Jim Petraitis, Cheryl Winter, Tom Petraitis, Denise Marion, Jerome Marion, the late Diane Wenninger, and the late Michael Wenninger.

His funeral and visitation will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025 at 8:30 AM from the PERRY-McSTAY FUNERAL HOME, 2555 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 984 Taunton Avenue, Seekonk. Burial will be at the Rehoboth Village Cemetery.

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