John Elacqua

If you are reading this, then, contrary to what many of us believed, John P. Elacqua was not immortal. John Elacqua of Eldora, Iowa passed away the evening of June 29, 2022. John passed away peacefully surrounded by his children.

Born on May 4, 1959, in Albany New York. He is predeceased by his parents, Jacqueline Dawn (Kasmar) Mason and Angelo Elacqua. He is also predeceased by his wife Cynthia (Hall) Elacqua, the love of his life.

John attended school in Poughkeepsie, Saratoga and Albany, NY. While he attended school in Albany, he stood out on the football field. He eventually moved to Florida where he was recruited by the American football League. At age 24 he pursued his dream to become an Olympic boxer. Elacqua won the Nevada state super-heavyweight Golden Gloves title by knocking out Daniel Walsh at 1:19 of the second round. John Elacqua known as “Johnny ‘The Rock’ Elacqua” took on his second match as a professional boxer and knocked out Ron Richardson in 47 seconds of the first round. Elacqua had interviews in The Ring magazine and his matches aired on live television, it wasn’t until the late 80’s when he decided to hang up the gloves.

After his boxing career, John met his wife Cynthia in Las Vegas, Nevada where they married and had their 5 daughters Sasha, Jacqueline, Kiana, Rebecca, and Mia. 1995, John and Cindy took their entrepreneurship goals to Iowa, where they later had their two sons Angelo and Johnny. The Elacqua family known for being a “large loving family who always had German shepherds and delicious homemade food.” John cherished his family deeply; he was a very determined father and dedicated husband.

John embraced his Italian heritage tradition of cooking for family. He treasured his Sundays, cooking feasts for family and friends. He even opened his own Italian restaurant called the Broken Tee room, where he was able to share his talents and feed the community for many years with his family.

Elacqua spent most sunny days on the golf course. He enjoyed fishing with his children and genuinely loved being outdoors with family. John took annual trips to his hometown Saratoga, NY to visit friends and relatives. He especially loved the Horse Track in Saratoga; he rarely missed a Travers Day. Elacqua was small town Eldora’s little piece of New York.

A celebration of life for John Elacqua will be held at the Pine Lake Country Club on July 24 at 1 p.m. Please join his children in celebration and enjoy food and drinks in memory of their beloved father John.