Popular Fall River educator at several schools including Durfee, Diman, Wixon has passed away

OBITUARY

It is with a heavy heart that the family of John T. Vieira, Jr. announces his passing on Feb 22, 2026, at the age of 84 from complications due to Alzheimer’s Disease. Born in Fall River, he was the son of the late John T. Vieira and Irene (Reis) Vieira and was a graduate of BMC Durfee High School. John was a remarkable man with degrees from URI, MIT and Harvard and was a well-respected and beloved educator for many years in the Fall River Schools. Some may recall him as a physics teacher at Diman R.V.T. High School in the early 1970’s, as a popular Principal of the former Wixon Elementary School during the 1970’s and 1980’s, or as the Chair of the Science Department at Durfee High School during the 1990’s and finally Director of Title 1 Programs in the school district in the early 2000’s. Before this, John also taught at Hotchkiss Schools in western Connecticut where he received his most cherished honor recognizing his love for teaching by the senior class. He was admired by students and colleagues and respected for his willingness to treat everyone with the same respect he received.

John was also an avid horseman and was actively engaged in the Massachusetts Morgan Horse Association for decades. He had a passion for animals, especially horses and their role in American Western history. Even as Alzheimer’s consumed his mind, he never forgot the many stories of true cowboys and Indians and the heroes of the greatest generation during the second world war.

John leaves behind a legacy far beyond the measure of most men. There are many people today who owe him gratitude for his willingness to go the extra mile. He might have played an afterschool game with you at Wixon to keep you off the streets or tutored you in math or physics after class to help you get that college degree. To his children, he was a role model for how to treat others and how to live a life that makes the world a little bit better. To his wife, he was a lifelong love who managed to offer her a smile even in his last hours. When they stepped on the dance floor the entire room watched. He will be missed by many.

He was the husband of Janice E. (DeMello) Vieira to whom he had been married for nearly 62 years. In addition to his wife, he is survived by two children, Kris Ann Jardin, of Swansea, and Steven Vieira, and his wife Lori of Chesterland, OH; six grandchildren, Samantha, Bret and Kyle Jardin, Conner, Emily and Ella Vieira; a great grandson Desmond Jardin Sullivan; a sister Diane Pierce and her husband David; two nephews Jonathan Pierce and Michael Pierce. He was preceded in death by his oldest daughter Karen L. Vieira.

The family will honor his life in a private ceremony. A memorial scholarship has been established in his honor with the Fall River Scholarship Foundation. Donations to that scholarship can be sent in John’s name to: Fall River Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 1721, Fall River, MA 02722.