Dr. John A. Rocco, South Jersey educator, politician, and family man, dies at 83

To say that Dr. John A. Rocco led a busy life would be selling him short: For decades, he juggled roles as an educator, politician, and family man.

The college professor, former Cherry Hill mayor, and two-decade New Jersey state assemblyman died Wednesday, April 8, of respiratory failure at Samaritan Hospice in Voorhees. He was 83.

Although he tested negative for the coronavirus, the COVID-19 pandemic still impacted the final days for him and his family.

“We couldn’t go to the hospital to be with him,” daughter Alexandra Rocco said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

A Republican, Dr. Rocco made his first foray into politics as mayor of Cherry Hill from 1975 to 1977. His second was as a member of the Cherry Hill Council from 1977 to 1979.

He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the 6th Legislative District in Camden County from 1980 through January 1998. He was a delegate to two Republican National Conventions, and at the first, in 1980, he was one of the nominators of Ronald Reagan.

A proactive lawmaker, Dr. Rocco spoke out and wrote widely in local newspapers. In June 1980, he and fellow Republicans walked out of budget deliberations they felt were unfair and demeaning to the GOP. “We’re not treated with any respect,” Dr. Rocco told the Courier-Post.

That same year, he objected to a proposal to create a separate state of South Jersey — a measure pushed by advocates who argued the southern end of the state was being shortchanged of money and attention by North Jersey lawmakers.

“History has proven that secession is almost impossible without violence, and I don’t think anyone is willing to go to war,” Dr. Rocco said at the time..

In 1981, he sponsored a bill allowing judges to suspend the driving privileges of teenagers who used cars to commit crimes. It passed unanimously. Other measures he introduced covered teacher certifications, prohibited children selling candy from door-to-door for safety reasons, and sought to discourage record manufacturers from including subliminal messages on recordings by requiring labeling.

At various times, Dr. Rocco held assembly leadership roles as assistant minority whip, speaker pro tempore, and deputy speaker. He served as chair of the Education Committee and vice chair of the Joint Committee on Public Schools.

“He would drive back and forth to Trenton every weekday,” said his daughter.

Born at home in South Philadelphia, he entered Girard College, the Philadelphia boarding school for orphaned and underprivileged kids, at age 6, because his family could not afford to raise him. He graduated at 18, and never forgot his time there, using it as a motivator.

He earned an undergraduate degree in education from what is now West Chester University. He was one of the school’s all-time top soccer defenders.

Dr. Rocco earned a master’s degree in education from Villanova University and a doctorate in education from Rutgers University.

From 1964 to 1968, he was the principal of Cherry Hill’s Woodcrest School. He became an associate professor at Camden County College, and then the school’s director of continuing education.

Later, Dr. Rocco became a professor of education at Rider College, and after his political career, a professor of education policy at Rowan University. He retired in the early 2000s.

His daughter, a teacher, earned a degree in elementary education from Rowan in 1995. “The big moment for him was when he gave me my diploma," she said. "He came up on stage and surprised me.”

He was a good father. “Part of it was his growing up in Girard,” she said. “He overcompensated. He was incredible, the best.”

In retirement, he enjoyed trips with his grandchildren to Disney World.

Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Millie Rocco, whom he married in 1957; another daughter, Connie Shifton; and two grandchildren.

Services are private due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations may be made to Girard College via https://girardweb.wpengine.com/support/.