SJNA Mourns the Passing of Joseph J. LaRocca, Jr.
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that the SJNA community shares the news of the passing of Joseph J. LaRocca, Jr., a former board member and alumnus of St. John’s Northwestern Academies.
A 1969 graduate of Northwestern Military and Naval Academy, Joseph passed away peacefully in his new hometown of Cape Coral, Florida, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 40 years, Jamie (Cremeens) LaRocca, and their children, Jared Millard and Jenna LaRocca.
LaRocca entered Northwestern Military and Naval Academy as an 8th grader in 1964. While at Northwestern, Joe distinguished himself in wrestling, being named All-Conference all four years. Although eighth graders were not allowed to wrestle, he did so at 98 pounds. As a senior, he co-captained the wrestling team, placed 5th in the Wisconsin State Tournament, was named the Outstanding Wrestler, was named Most Valuable Wrestler for a second time, and qualified for the Olympic Trials.
Joe was commissioned as a Cadet First Lieutenant, serving as the Second Platoon Leader in Company B when there were only two companies.
Joe served in the Cadet Congress during his freshman and sophomore years, won the English Medal and Old Man Drill as a sophomore, won the Citizenship Medal as a junior, was a member of Crack Company as a junior and senior, and ran track during his last three years.
Joe entered The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, majoring in Political Science. He earned three varsity letters in wrestling and served as a cadre corporal and cadre sergeant in his sophomore and junior years. After five semesters, Joe made the very difficult decision to leave The Citadel.
Joe graduated from Elmhurst College with a BA in Political Science and a varsity letter in wrestling. Upon graduation, he completed Navy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an Ensign. He served on Grand Turk with the then-classified Sound Surveillance System to detect Soviet submarine movements. While there, Joe secured orders to train for the Navy Wrestling Team, placing in the Inter-Service Tournament.
He was subsequently assigned to Camp Lejeune as a Naval Gunfire Liaison Officer, coordinating naval gunnery support to Marine infantry units during amphibious operations. Joe was promoted to Lieutenant, J.G., and earned the National Defense Service Medal.
After his honorable discharge from the Navy, Joe joined General Building and Maintenance Company, a family business started by his grandfather and passed down through the generations. He took over as president in 1992 due to his father’s illness. His father died in 1994. Joe’s wife, Jamie, joined him in running the business; they retired in 2007.
Joe’s dedication extended beyond his career. He was a devoted alumnus of Northwestern Military and Naval Academy. Both of his sons graduated from SJNMA: Jared in 1998 and Joey in 2006. His brother, Peter, graduated from NMNA in 1980.
He served on the Board of Trustees until 2019 and gave back through coaching wrestling and generous philanthropy. He was awarded the designation of Honored Athlete as an Old Boy.
Joe was also a member of the Citadel Alumni Association and a contributor to the wrestling program.
A private memorial will be held.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joe’s honor to support youth wrestling—his lifelong passion—either to The Citadel wrestling program or the Crystal Lake (IL) Wizards.
About SJNA:
St. John’s Northwestern provides a safe, structured environment where students build a strong foundation for success. With specialized programs tailored to future aspirations, SJNA prepares young leaders to excel academically, professionally, and personally. Learn more at sjnacademies.org.