Two weeks ago, this area suffered the loss of one of its most outstanding citizens and a man dedicated to the service of others — John Troisi.

I knew John, maybe not as well as many other people, but I was still able to get a sense of the man and his love of humanity and serving that humanity in a variety of ways, such as his huge involvement with the church that he loved — St. Boniface — to his service with the Williamsport Kiwanis Club for more than 50 years.

John was part of a regretfully vanishing generation of people who dedicated themselves to being active in a variety of ways to help make their community a better place for others. He never hesitated to offer his help to a worthy cause.

But he was a lot more than that; he was a warm and friendly guy who always managed to greet you with his infectious smile. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the room.

He and I shared a love of baseball and baseball history, and he could always regale me with tales of his beloved Dodgers. It made me feel good that I was able to lend him a book about the Dodgers of the 1960s called “The Last Innocents.” He thanked me profusely for lending it to him and said how much he enjoyed it.

John was a fixture at the Little League World Series with his camera recording the big moments of the games. His dedication to Little League yielded him the well-deserved W. Howard Hartman Friendship Award. No one was ever a stranger to him.

Always at his side, if not physically, spiritually, was his beloved wife Patsy, who was the real light of John’s life.

I would also like to include in this tribute the recollections of two other people who knew John.

Jack Houston is the current president of the Williamsport Kiwanis Club and knew him well through that, as well as St. Boniface.

“I worked with John Troisi from 1975 to 1979 at St. Boniface Parish Community on Washington Blvd. I was a member of the priests’ staff and a teacher at St. John Neumann High School. In 2021, I returned to Williamsport to retire and joined John as a member of the Kiwanis Club. For the past three years, I met with John at weekly Club meetings and service opportunities in the community,” Houston told Webb Weekly.

“John Troisi was the strength and spirit of the St. Boniface Parish community during the early 1970s. Faced with the destruction of St. Boniface Church in 1972 by a huge fire, John served as President of the Parish Council and emerged as a steady and inspiring leader. He became the driving force behind more than 300 volunteers, organizing an array of committees that worked tirelessly toward the construction of a new church on the same site.

“Throughout this three-year journey, John Troisi was not only rebuilding a church, but also strengthening a community. His vision, perseverance, and deep faith inspired unity, hope, and commitment, resulting in the magnificent church that stands today as a testament to his leadership and devotion to the parish. John had a vision of the Church as the ‘People of God’ — an idea and image that forms a community and a network of service and care for others.”

Houston continued, “Over the past three years, I have been a member of the Williamsport Kiwanis Club and currently serve as its President. Through my conversations with John, I have come to appreciate his proud Kiwanis legacy. A 53-year member who followed in his father’s Kiwanis footsteps, John has long exemplified the spirit of service. A devoted member of the Kiwanis Club of Williamsport, he was named ‘Kiwanian of the Year’ in 1992, served for many years as the club’s beloved ‘Joke of the Day’ teller at weekly meetings, and proudly hosted the organization’s annual ‘Ray Keyes Salute to Little League Baseball’ luncheon. John welcomed ESPN guest, Julie Foudy, to the luncheon, and a beautiful friendship took place, and Kiwanis is happy that Julie Foudy joined the club because of John Troisi’s love for Little League and children’s participation in all sports.

“Having known John Troisi since the 1970s and observing him now in the 21st century, I see a remarkable consistency and deepening of character rather than a departure from who he has always been.

“John had long possessed a genuine and expansive curiosity about others. Across decades, he remained actively open — seeking out diverse voices, perspectives, and lived experiences. He understood that the true strength of any community lies in its heterogeneity, and he approached differences not with caution, but with interest and respect.

“John was a powerful source of positive energy. He consistently encouraged people through specific, authentic affirmation, recognizing strengths and possibilities that others might overlook. Where some see problems, John saw potential, often serving as a catalyst for others to believe in themselves and take meaningful action.

“From the past to the present, John embodied a progressive spirit. He anticipated change rather than resist it, willing to experiment, and committed to continuous improvement. Tradition, for John Troisi, was not a constraint but a foundation — something to build upon in the pursuit of a more just, thoughtful, and equitable future.

“John Troisi was a legend in his own time — he was a man for others.”

Wayne Palmer knew John through his photographic activities.

“John Troisi was a valued member of the Susquehanna Valley Shutterbugs for 25 years,” Palmer said. “John would take annual photo excursions out west, frequently selling the images to stock photo agencies. He would often coordinate the trips with the full moon, a frequent theme in his images. In addition to winning several awards at the group’s photo shows, he was a familiar face at the reception table at the shows, along with his wife, Patsy. John was known for seeing the donation basket with large bills to encourage donations, which worked well. His presence lit up the room, and his ‘true story’ jokes were a joy. He will be missed.”

Farewell John, thy good and faithful servant.