John E. Tassie, Jr.

BROOKFIELD – John E. Tassie, Jr., 88, rose to heaven on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 10:45 a.m. with his beloved family by his side. His oldest son John Tassie IV met him there with open arms for a long-awaited embrace.

Born on February 23, 1936, he was the son of John and Annie (Wheeler) Tassie, Sr. John was raised on a small farm in Barre with his siblings Rose, Elsma, Carol, Margaret, Joanne, and Edward. He attended Spaulding High School and went on to join the U.S. Marine Corps. While serving his country John married his first wife Priscilla (Davis) Tassie and they welcomed three healthy boys into this world John Tassie, IV, Robert Tassie, and Craig Tassie. John and Priscilla raised their family in Williamstown.

John spent his summers meeting the New York Giants players and passed that tradition down to his two youngest boys by creating a Packers fan and a Cowboys fan. His family was not only all about sports, but they also spent an incredible amount of time at their camp in Groton, teaching the boys about wildlife and how to fend for themselves. John was an avid outdoorsman and a very skilled artist; he was an expert at capturing his surroundings with his oil paintings and often gifted them to family and friends.

He later married Jan Tassie, and they made their home in Brookfield. This sanctuary home was often a place for family, friends and locals to gather for a hot coffee or a cold brew. The garden alone was like going to the fair, most would have looked at this place like a petting zoo because of the wide range of different types of animals he always had at his “Barn.”  The “Barn” was John’s pride and joy, and most would have looked at it like some sort of wildlife museum.

John’s spirit will be carried on by his son, Robert Tassie and his wife, Pamela (Mowatt) Tassie along with their three children Joshua Tassie, Lindsey (Tassie) Contois and Jacob Tassie, and John’s youngest son, Craig Tassie and his son Kyle Larocque, and last but not least his great-grandchildren Gwendolyn Contois, Bentley Larocque, Piper Contois, Colton Tassie and his wife Jan Tassie.

The service to honor and celebrate his life will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at The Pub (downstairs), 2373 Main Street, Williamstown. There are no calling hours.