JOHN J. HIGGINS

83, of Cranston, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at home. He was the husband of sixty years to Phyllis P. (Vieweg) Higgins. Born in Cranston, he was a son of the late William and Josephine (Maughan) Higgins. John was a toolmaker for the former Leesona Corporation for thirty-two years and was also employed by Kenney Manufacturing Company of Warwick. He was a graduate of LaSalle Academy, class of 1944. John played minor league baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization. This love of baseball inspired him to coach Cranston Little League and Senior League Baseball for over ten years. John was a US Army veteran serving during WW II. Besides his wife he is survived by children, Michael C. Higgins of Cranston, Wm. Lee Higgins and his wife Tina of Coventry, Mary Higgins Rokosz and her husband Steven of Merrimac, MA, Ann M. McDonough and her husband John of Exeter, Kathleen L. Conley and her husband Thomas of Cranston, Det. Jane M. Fish, Ret. NPPD and her husband Charles of Lincoln and the late John Paul Higgins. John was the grandfather of Molly and Sophie Rokosz, John Joseph, Michael and Brian Paul McDonough, Casey, Natalie, Sydney and Sean Paul Conley, Nicolette, Alexandra and Charles Fish. He was the brother of Virginia Rubery of West Greenwich, Margaret O'Brien of West Warwick, Robert Higgins of Coventry and the late Russell Higgins, William Higgins, Geraldine McCarthy and Patricia Champagne. Funeral from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME, 1278 Park Avenue, Cranston on Monday at 9:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 in St. Ann's Church, 1493 Cranston Street, Cranston. Burial with Military Honors will be in Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery, Exeter. VISITING HOURS Sunday 4-8 p.m. lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Home and Hospice Care of RI, 1085 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02904.

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