John E Cassetta

It is with great sadness that we share the news that our beloved John Cassetta passed away on March 26th, just one day before his 80th birthday.

Loved by so many. Valued by so many. Respected by so many. An extraordinary husband, father, and friend.

John was an exceptional individual and a steadfast pillar for countless people. His personality shined and raised the mood of every room he entered. Loved by those who knew him personally and esteemed by the people who worked with him on a professional level, John's impact was profound and universally admired. His stature in the engineering industry is exemplified by the boards on which he proudly served – including the New Jersey Alliance for Action and the ACEC NJ, where he served as the Chairman of the PANYNJ Transportation Committee, and as the Awards Committee Chair for 12 years.

John’s eclectic life experience was extraordinary. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, in 1944, he received a communications degree from Dayton University before earning dual degrees in Business Administration and Metropolitan Studies from Ramapo College. In 1973, he was elected to the Waldwick, NJ Borough Council, and two years later, at 31 years of age, he was elected Mayor of Waldwick and was believed to be the youngest mayor in the state at the time. Mayor Cassetta served two terms and became a well-known presence in New Jersey politics for the rest of his life. John was known by and had the affection of everyone from U.S. Presidents and Senators to Mayors and Council Members, and the numerous photos he took with those figures adorned his office walls next to letters of thanks and appreciation for his work.

His career brought him to the New York music industry, where John became a marketing executive representing some of the biggest artists of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He loved to share stories of his days in show business and was quite proud of his accomplishments in that field.

When John joined Boswell in 1986 to use his political acumen and professional experience as a marketing manager, he helped Boswell grow into the prestigious firm that it is today. As a trusted advisor to senior management and a proud representative of the firm, he was an integral part of the company’s business development efforts. Most notably, he worked with the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the New Jersey and New York State Departments of Transportation, and countless municipalities to bring their projects to Boswell. Unsurprisingly, when Boswell merged with Italconsult in 2018, John’s value in the company grew even more, and he was consulted on all aspects of its current business endeavors. As Boswell’s Senior Vice President and beloved friend, John will be dearly missed.

He was a friend, a mentor, and a father figure to so many people. He always offered his advice, a story, or sometimes just a quip to make the lives of everyone around him better. John’s heart was as warm as his smile.

John will be missed by us all, but especially his family - John's wife, whom he loved beyond measure, Yola; his daughter, Stephanie, and Ian; his daughter, Lorianne, and her husband Bruce; his daughter, Lisa, and her husband, Kenneth; as well as his brother Doug. He will also be missed by the grandchildren that he loved dearly: Kelsie, Jessica, Braeden, Tyler, Ellorie, and Logan.

John was predeceased by his son, Johnny; his parents, Paul and Matilda; and his brothers, Paul and Richard.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 2, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, April 3, at 10:00 am at St. Paul RC Church, 200 Wyckoff Avenue, Ramsey, NJ.

In lieu of flowers donations in memory of John may be made to Tunnel to Towers Foundation

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