John J. Dalton

John Joseph Dalton of Egremont and formerly of Millburn, N.J., died peacefully with family at his side on September 23, 2026. He was born to Evelyn and John Dalton in Orange, N.J., on March 30, 1926. John (aka Jake, Jack, or Handshake Jake) grew up in Millburn, N.J., in a house that his grandfather purchased in 1918, a house that became home to four generations of Daltons.

Like his father before him and three of his children after, John attended St. Rose of Lima School in Short Hills, N.J. He then moved on to Our Lady of the Valley School in South Orange, but his time there was short, as they had no football team and that was a sport that he was eager to try. Without his parent’s knowledge, John transferred to Millburn High School, which initially was not well received by his mom and dad. And, he never got to play football, as his father refused to sign the release form allowing him to try out for the team. As it turns out, John’s true love was baseball, a sport that he did play, which was followed for years by adult softball leagues. As a youth, John was involved with the Boy Scouts of America and would likely have earned his Eagle Award, but in 1943, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. John served in the Pacific as an AOM (Aviation Ordnance Mate), spending most of his time at the Naval Air Station in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

When John was discharged in 1946, he attended Seton Hall College under the GI Bill and graduated in the Class of 1949 with a degree in marketing and advertising. While preparing to graduate, John met Ruth Drummond, also of Millburn, N.J., who was finishing up her RN training. The stars aligned, and they married in February 1950 and settled in the family homestead on Millburn Avenue.

John and Ruth were blessed with four children: Barbara, Michael, Mary, and Kathleen. After a few short-term jobs, John settled into a marketing position with Federal Pacific Electric Company in Newark, N.J., and stayed with the company for 35 years before retiring.

John lived his life by volunteering his time to others. He was an assistant scoutmaster of Troop 17, Short Hills, and eventually went on to be the camping chairman of the South Mountain District of the Orange Mt. Council. John was active with the Knights of Columbus at St. Rose of Lima Church, serving as the grand knight several times; during their fundraising periods, he was a familiar sight collecting for the Knights of Columbus in front of the Millburn Deli for years. John served on the Essex County Juvenile Board, a post that he held for many years. Within a year of his retirement, Ruth told him, “You need to go back to work,” which resulted in John volunteering for the New Eyes for the Needy in Short Hills, N.J., for over 30 years. After years of volunteer service, John eventually joined the organization’s board.

In 2011, John’s hometown named him the “Patriot of the Year.” Prior to that, John received the “Good Neighbor” award from the Neighborhood Association of Millburn Township. He served as an officer for the Guy Bosworth American Legion Post and was eventually recognized with a lifetime membership. Perhaps one of the greatest honors bestowed on John came in 2016 when the State of New Jersey honored him as the recipient of the state’s Volunteer of the Year Award.

Alongside his high school friend Joe Delano, John created the “Sacred Sauce” (tomato sauce) and sold it after every Sunday morning Mass outside St. Rose of Lima Church, with proceeds going to support seminarians at the Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University.

Most recently, John was honored to be the grand marshall of Millburn’s 2026 Memorial Day Parade in his 100th year.

After 97 years as a Jersey boy, John moved to Egremont, Mass., to live with his son Michael and daughter-in-law Krista. Even though his adopted state’s baseball team was the Boston Red Sox, John maintained his loyalty to the New York Mets. When he moved to Massachusetts, his afternoons were spent at the James A. Modolo VFW Post in Great Barrington, where he made fast friends. He truly treasured his time there.

John was predeceased by his parents, Evelyn and John Dalton; his wife Ruth (nee Drummond); his daughter Mary Norton; his daughter-in-law Lori Dalton; and his sister Margaret Landrum. He leaves behind his daughter Barbara Dalton and her husband Ed Burstein; his son Michael and his wife Krista; his daughter Kathleen Dalton; and sons-in-law Robert Norton, Daniel Cannizzo, and Wes El Sawi. He leaves his grandchildren—Ryan (Josh), Taylor (Tom), Kaylan (Matt), Dillan (Ploy), Augusta (Jeb), Sean (Marissa), Katie (Rob), Victoria (Marcus), Dalton (Alicia), and Tarek—as well as his step-grandchildren, Rachel (Kurt), Andrew, Eila, and Ada. He also leaves 12 great-grandchildren: Mabel, Sunny, Ozzy, Hadley, Maisie, Bowden, Dallas, Dixie, Robert, Hazen, Aydin, and Sawyer.

The family will receive family and friends at the Jacob Holle Funeral Home, 2122 Millburn Ave, Maplewood, N.J., from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 1. A celebratory Mass will be held at St. Rose of Lima Church in Short Hills, N.J., on Friday, October 2, at 11:15 a.m., with a burial to follow with full military honors at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery. All are invited to a repast in Ryan Hall immediately following the burial. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HospiceCare in the Berkshires in Pittsfield or New Eyes for the Needy in Short Hills, N.J.