John M. Fresina, 90, of Burlington, formerly of Lexington, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 10, 2026, surrounded by his family.

He was the beloved husband of the late Patricia Lysaght Fresina.

John is survived by his children: Susan Higdon of Bedford; Lori Fresina and her wife, Sara Orozco, of Needham; Michael Fresina of Charlotte, NC; and Julie Fresina and her fiancée, Kisha Estelow, of Albany, NY; and by his three grandchildren, Jake Orozco-Herman, Brady Orozco-Herman, and Mary Fresina.

He is also survived by his cousins, Rose Dould of Andover and Lillian Caselli of Plymouth; sisters-in-law Edith Sullivan of Westfield and Anne Lysaght of Needham, Jane DeGange (Jack) of Lebanon, NH, and Claire Stearns (Waring) of Portland, ME; brothers-in-law Peter Lysaght (Doris) of Brookline, William Farrington Jr. (Pamela) of Plymouth, and David Corkrum of Oakland, CA; as well as many nieces, nephews, and friends.

He was predeceased by his siblings, Elizabeth Fresina, Francis Fresina, Virginia Fresina, Mario Fresina, Rocco Frisina, John P. Fresina, Grace Moberg, Florence Allen, and Mary Wright; and by his in-laws, Henry ("Hank") Lysaght, Catherine Farrington, Paul Lysaght, and Richard Sullivan.

John was born in Long Branch, NJ, to the late Marino and Mary Fresina. He was raised in Rockland, MA, and was a graduate of Rockland High School, Higgins Classical Institute, and Bates College.  At Bates College, he earned the nickname, "The Hammer", and co-captained the Track & Field team during its first-ever undefeated season in 1958.

Following his graduation from Bates, John served in the United States Marine Corps, achieving the rank of Corporal before receiving an honorable discharge in August 1964.

After his military service, John worked as a safety engineer at MIT, later becoming Director of the Safety Office before retiring in 1996. During his early years at MIT, he also served as a Housemaster at Perkins School for the Blind. After moving to Lexington, John taught CCD classes at St. Brigid Church and coached several of the town's youth sports teams.

He will be remembered as a devotedly smitten husband, excellent father, grandfather, brother, uncle, in-law to many, teammate, colleague, supervisor, neighbor, and friend. He approached everything in life with integrity, and taught others around him how to do the same without preaching. He loved to spend time with his family, laughing, eating lobster rolls, and telling stories and learning what made other people tick. He had amazing luck, and he connected with people and treated everyone with courtesy. He will be greatly missed.

A Mass in his honor will be held on Monday, June 8, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Brigid Church, 1995 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington. Family members and friends who would like to speak are invited to do so.

The family is planning for a reception to be held following the Mass downstairs in Keilty Hall. Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Good Sports (goodsports.org)- https://support.goodsports.org/campaign/653811/donate

Good Sports drives equitable access in youth sports and physical activity, by supporting children in high-need communities to achieve their greatest potential, on the field and in life.