John Paul Daigle, 76, of Jacksonville, FL passed away on August 7, 2026 surrounded by the love of his wife, Debbie, and their children.

John was the oldest son of the late John and Barbara Daigle and the brother of Rich (Kathy), Jim (Julie), Kathy Coffey (Steve), and Christopher (Christine). He grew up in Trumbull, CT where, when he was 18, he met Debbie, who was 15, in Trumbull High School. John went away to Tri-State College (now Trine University) in Angola, Indiana soon after but that teenage love never wavered and led to a marriage of over 53 years, a family, countless adventures, and a lifetime of memories.

John and Debbie married in Trumbull, CT on January 13th, 1973. When first married, they lived in Clarksville, Indiana for two years before moving back to the east coast. They settled in Bethel, CT and then started a family that was always the center of their lives. John was a father to Jason (Brittany, Jason’s fiancee), Kelly Kirk (Craig), Jeff (Sarah) and a grandfather to Kelly’s children, Michaela, Carter, and Madison and Jeff’s children, Walter, Rush, and Ford. He loved his children and grandchildren with all of his heart and could often be heard telling stories of their lives and accomplishments.

In 2004 John and Debbie moved to the warmer climate of Bradenton, FL. While there, John fulfilled a dream of having his own Cessna 172 airplane. He and Debbie loved flying around Florida to visit with their children and grandchildren who were scattered about the state.

In 2015 John and Debbie retired and set out on another of life’s dreams; living and traveling on a boat. For 8 years AfterMath, a 1976 Hatteras LRC trawler, took them from Canada to the east coast of the US, through the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the islands of the Caribbean all the way to Grenada. Later they traveled on AfterMath through the Smoky Mountains, spent a summer in the Chesapeake Bay, floated down the Potomac River to Washington, DC, and down the St. John’s River in Florida. Boating provided them with many wonderful new friends and allowed them to spend time with old friends and family who visited or came along for part of the ride.

John loved having people around. The Daigle house was famous for its family dinners where anyone was welcome. Dinners lasted for hours each night as kids brought friends for lively discussion and lots of laughter. When it came time for Thanksgiving, both John’s family and Debbie’s family gathered at their house in Bethel. John made sure there was never a “kid’s table” as everyone was to sit together for the big meal. When the crowd got to numbering 27, he shrink wrapped the back porch so that a table extended through two rooms and the porch so no one was at a separate table. John made a toast to each and every person around the table every year, and didn’t hurry just because dinner was getting cold. Everyone mattered and he wanted to be sure to let them know.

John was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle to his beloved nieces and nephews, friend to many, pilot, adventurer, and storyteller. He loved making people laugh and making people feel welcome whether at home in a house or on the boat.

John’s family is grateful to those who cared for him in the last 8 months, especially the staff, nurses, and aides at Alto at Duval Station in Jacksonville, and his nurses and his caregivers from Haven Hospice. Their kindness and loving care meant more than can adequately be expressed.

Alzheimer’s disease took John’s life in a way his loved ones never would have wanted, but the family he created, the lifetime of memories, the adventures, and the love that he shared will never be erased.

In his final days, he was surrounded by Debbie, still holding his hand and rubbing his arm, and his three children, all reminiscing with tears and with laughter about the life they had because of John.

John would be most happy if he knew everyone was raising a glass to toast him during happy hour and remembering what a wonderful man he was.

We will miss you, John. We will remember you, and we will love you forever.

A celebration of John’s life will be held in October. Details will follow soon.