John R. Baksa, 81; Lifelong Wallingford Resident, Beloved Teacher

From the Wallingford Funeral Home

John R. Baksa, 81, of Wallingford, the loving husband of Mary Turrini Baksa for 57 years, died Monday, July 20, 2015, after a brief illness.

He was born in Meriden, October 23, 1933, the son of the late Elizabeth Dorgan Baksa and was a lifelong resident of Wallingford.

After graduating from Lyman Hall High School (LHHS) he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. Professionally, John dedicated his life to teaching, as a math and science teacher for 35 years at Dag Hammarskjold and LHHS, where he had near perfect attendance.

And as the owner of the Modern Driving School where he taught over 15,000 people to drive and traveled over 2 million miles locally. He was a strong athlete and an avid sports fan supporting the UConn Huskies, Boston Red Sox and New York Giants. He was known best by many for his sense of humor, endless repertoire of jokes, and heart of gold.

In addition to his wife Mary, he is survived by his children, Eileen Deckler and her husband David, John Baksa and his wife Holly, and Julie Hipp; and his grandchildren, Paul Hipp, Emily Baksa, Hilary Baksa and Jeffrey Baksa.

John’s family would like to express their sincere appreciation to their father’s medical professionals for all of their loving care and kindness.

His family will receive relatives and friends on Thursday, July 23, 2015, from 4 to 8 p.m. in The Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 N. Main St. Ext., Wallingford. A funeral service will be held Friday at 9:30 a.m. directly at the First Congregational Church, 23 S. Main St. Wallingford, CT. Interment with military honors will be in In Memoriam Cemetery in Wallingford. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his memory may be sent to the Autism Resources Services Connecticut (ASRC), 101 N. Plains Road, Wallingford, CT 06492.

To leave online condolences, visit the Wallingford Funeral Home here.