John Frechette, 70
John Maurice Frechette, 70, of Utica, N.Y., was greeted by family and friends as he was called home to Heaven on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. He had been receiving cancer treatment at Wynn Hospital in Utica.
Born on July 15, 1955, in Tupper Lake, John was the eldest son of Joseph Maurice and Joan Marie (Decheine) Frechette.
He attended Holy Ghost Academy through 8th grade and Tupper Lake High School where he was inducted into the National Honor Society during his junior year and served as its president as a senior. John was extremely studious, but took time off from his studies to play on the golf and wrestling teams.
After graduating in June of 1973, John enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), majoring in medicine. He was an active member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. After his sophomore year, he changed his major to civil engineering, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in August of 1978.
After college, John married Angela Racine and they had two sons. Their marriage ended, but they remained committed to their boys, attending their football games, track meets and school activities.
During his years after college, John held various jobs, the most meaningful being working alongside his father in the family’s construction business, building hospitals and schools. He spent the bulk of his career at Niagara Mohawk Nine Mile Point in Oswego, N.Y. John was project manager on the building of the nuclear plant and continued working as an operator in radioactive waste before moving into their computer technology unit years later.
After retiring from Niagara Mohawk, John spent several years as a home health care aide for WWII veterans.
In June of 2012, John reconnected with a high school friend, Lynn LaValley, and their relationship blossomed. The couple traveled between their homes for four years and then John moved to New Berlin to help care for Lynn’s mother during her last years. John and Lynn married on June 26, 2022, exactly 10 years to the day that they had found each other on Facebook.
In 2023, they sold their home to retire at Acacia Village in Utica, where the couple spent their last years together enjoying life. John was active at Acacia, playing volleyball, swimming, doing yoga, and going for long walks with his sweetheart. An avid science fiction reader, he spent time researching his interests (the universe and stars) and playing online video games, as well as playing the keyboard, saxophone, and guitar.
John’s greatest joy in life was spending time with his huge family and close friends. He will always be remembered by all who knew him as a quiet, gentle man, with a quick wit and loving smile.
Besides his loving wife, Lynn, John is survived by his two sons, Jerami Maurice Frechette (Allie Keller) of Rochester, N.Y., and Jonathan Michael Frechette (Atlee Hubbard) of Portola Valley, CA, and his three stepchildren, Brandy Lynn Pasanen (Arne Pasanen III) of New Berlin, N.Y., Shadow Christopher LaValley of Los Angeles, CA, and Janelle Amanda Dye (Justin Dye) of Maryville, TN.
He leaves behind ten grandchildren: Maddix Keller, Wyatt & Weslee Frechette, Arne IV, Emily, Zoey, Riley, Haley, & Harmony Pasanen, and Connor Dye.
John is also survived by his eight siblings: Mary Radimer of Nampa, ID, Claire Temmen (Wayne Temmen) of Hinsdale, N.H., Jane Larkin (Shawn Larkin) of Tupper Lake, Tom Frechette of Vero Beach, FL, Julie Miller (Chris Miller) of Ronan, MT, Rick Frechette (Laurie Carlson) of Denver, CO, Tracy Darrah (Stuart Darrah) of Bloomingdale, and Jesse Frechette (Joe Salvatore) of Eagleville, PA.
John is also survived by his two maternal aunts: Phyllis Decheine of Cheshire, CT, and Sally Decheine of Menands, NY, as well as 18 nieces and nephews and 14 great nieces and great nephews.
The family would like to thank the Wynn Hospital staff for their amazing care of John during the month of July 2025.
A Memorial Gathering was held on August 3 at the Acacia Village Lodge for family, friends, and neighbors.
In John’s memory, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or any lymphoma organization of your choice.