John George Breza

John Breza, 96, passed away peacefully while doing his daily crossword puzzle on the evening of Friday, September 12. He was born on April 7, 1929. A loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, John was valued by his friends and appreciated for his wit, friendly demeanor and talent for telling a good story.

Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey to John Michael and Anna (Hornyak) Breza, John was deeply influenced by his Slovak upbringing and faith in the Byzantine Catholic Church. When he was very young, he served as an altar boy and later reflected upon those days with fond memories and humorous stories.

John graduated from Trenton Catholic Boys’ High School in 1947. After serving in the US Navy, he received a undergraduate degree in teaching from La Salle University in Philadelphia, courtesy of the GI Bill, and ultimately, a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

John was proud of his work ethic and spent his entire career at the Trenton Public School System. He began his profession as a history teacher and later became a principal and finally, assistant superintendent of secondary education until his retirement.

John appreciated the arts and was particularly interested in music, a love he shared with his wife Jean. He had a beautiful baritone voice and enjoyed singing in the church choir. He had a gift for cooking and often prepared delicious meals for his family and was known to wrap up any extras to share with his neighbors, a testament to his generosity. However, the family joke was he would never share his recipes.

When John retired in 1993, he and Jean moved to Charleston, SC and lived on James Island. His days were spent gardening, cooking and even as an “extra” in two Hollywood movies , The Legend of Bagger Vance starring Matt Damon and White Squall starring Jeff Bridges. His friends liked to tease him about his movie star days.

Several years ago, John and Jean moved to Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community in Charleston, SC. There, John found kinship with many of the residents, continued with his gardening and joined the chapel choir.

John is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Doris Gray.

John is survived by his wife of 47 years, Jean (Barr) Breza; children, Susan Collier and partner Peter McCarthy, Pam Basolis and husband, Jeff, Mary Oswald and husband Kurt, Bart Thomas and wife Sally, and Steve Thomas and wife Jenny; grandchildren, Emma Haughton and husband Andrew, Claire Kauffman and husband Cody, Alexander Ashley and fiancé Lorraine Tucci, Maxwell Ashley, Sage Thomas, Celia Thomas, Kira Thomas, Jordan Koger and husband Mitchell, and Jacob Thomas; great-grandchildren, Poppy Haughton, Bodhi Haughton, and John Ashley; and a host of family and friends that will cherish his memory.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bishop Gadsden or to St Jude’s Children Hospital.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Estes Community at Bishop Gadsden for their care and support during John’s stay.

A celebration of John’s life with be held at a future date.

Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at mcalister-smith.com/.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral and Cremation - James Island, 347 Folly Rd, Charleston, SC 29412, 843-614-8494.