John W. Gentile

Waltham – John W. Gentile, of Waltham, died unexpectedly at home on Saturday, May 13, 2017. He was 31.

John was born in Cambridge on June 6, 1985, the son of John and Kim (Roche) Gentile. He lived in Cambridge until the age of five before moving with his family to Waltham. He remained a lifelong Waltham resident.

He was active in Waltham Youth Hockey and Waltham Youth Baseball. A graduate of Waltham High in 2003 he played hockey as a goalie while in high school. He attended UMASS – Amherst where he enjoyed playing intramural hockey. He later graduated from Southern New Hampshire University in 2013.

John will best be remembered by his family as being warm, loving, kind and generous. He was smart and funny and was a devoted and loving son and brother.

He loved sports, especially hockey and baseball. He was an enthusiastic fan of the Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots. He was a frequent attendee at Bruins games, home and away, and . . . like John Madden . . . he never flew. Driving to games across the states and into the provinces of Canada created memories treasured by his family.

John had worked as an intern at WEEI radio on Boston and before that in the pro shop at TD BANK Garden.

Greeting him in heaven were his grandparents, Carol and John 'Sonny' Gentile and Donald and Dorothy Roche and his pets Holly and Fudge.

He leaves his parents, Lieut. John (MSP) and Kim Gentile of Waltham and his sister Diane May Gentile of Waltham; aunts and uncles including Deb and Brian McMahon, Kelly and Mark Dufour and Don and Terry Roche; his cousins, Marquelle, Keenan, and Nolan; his special family friends Nancy King and Cal Kantor and other close friends including Rupam, Trombley, Luu, Mutty, Mikey, Arjun, Gullotti, Fritz, Drago, Jen, Alyssa, Beth, and Joey Lafauci and neighbors the Violas, Joyce's, Douglas', Cadmans, and the Boudrots.

Family and friends will honor and remember John's life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday May 18th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Church, 880 Trapelo Road, Waltham where his Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow in Mt. Feake Cemetery, Waltham.

To keep the memory of John alive, his friends and loved ones have created a memorial scholarship in his name. The details can be found at: http://jwgmemorial.org