John Abdallah Dies In Parade At Norwood-November 11, 1968

Norwood Official Dies in Parade

Selectman John A. Abdallah, 59, of 1027 Washington St., collapsed today while marching in the Veterans’ Day parade and was pronounced dead on arrival at Norwood Hospital.

Born in Norwood, he was the son of the late Nicholas Abdallah, who was known as the “mayor” of South Norwood. Mr. Abdallah deserved a similar nickname.

He was a member of the M.B.T.A. Advisory Board, the Metropolitan Planning Commission, the Norwood Commission on Industrial Development, the Oldham School Building Committee, the playground advisory committee, the South Norwood Highway Committee, the South Norwood Fire House Committee, the South Norwood Improvement Assn., the Norwood Chamber of Commerce, the Mass. Relief Officers Assn, and the Mass, and Norfolk County Selectmen’s Assn.

He was the chairman of the School Housing Study Committee, the Balch School Building Committee, the Board of Public Welfare and the Bureau of Old Age Assistance.

Mr. Abdallah was the leader of the Syrian Colony, comprised of more than 200 families, and was a member of American Legion Post 70 and the Norwood Elks.

He leaves his wife, Helen (Dauksewicz); two daughters, Olga and Helen, and a son Nicholas, all of Norwood.

A requiem Mass will be sun at 11 a.m. Wednesday in St. George’s Syrian Orthodox Church.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Boston Globe