By Jamie Lasorsa, Reporter
John Lajoie grew up surrounded by putting greens and sand bunkers, as he, during his pre-teen and high
school years, spent countless hours working for his dad, Raymond Lajoie, who worked for over 26 years
as the head golf professional at Worcester Country Club.
His time spent at the club gave John more time with his dad, a love for the game, and taught him some
valuable life lessons; “nothing comes easy; there are no free rides; and you must work hard to get
ahead” (Lajoie, 2005).
Out of high school, John joined the Air Force where he served his country for six years and
simultaneously took college courses to start earning his degree. He earned his Bachelor of Science
degree in History from Worcester State and met the love of his life Susan whom he married in 1983. In
1995, John and Susan moved to Sterling where they have resided since, raising their family and making
fond memories of this community.
His growing family of 3 children, Jason, Jessica, and Jacqueline, along with a new Private Investigation
business venture (beginning in 1988) kept John on his toes. He took great pride in his work, making sure
ethics, high standards, and professionalism were always at the forefront of all he did, but also made sure
he allowed for quality time with his family, even if sometimes that meant everyone in the office having a
pizza party while putting business packets together.
John quickly became a national leader among his colleagues and a well-known, well-respected, Private
Investigator, not only in Massachusetts, but across the country and across seas. Among many other
accolades, John was inducted as the National Director of NALI (National Association of Legal
Investigators) during the pandemic and was instrumental in helping Private Investigators across the
country navigate how to conduct business, survive, and thrive during uncertain times.
Unfortunately, John received a heartbreaking diagnosis of gastroesophageal cancer in early 2021. While
many people, understandably, would slow down in their work life, social affairs, and the like, John did
just the opposite. He made each day count. John continued to work, planning a National Conference for
his peers, and continued to pursue his mission of creating a more diverse, all-inclusive, professional, and
ethical standard within the PI world. John also honored a commitment he had made to the Worcester
Country Club, of delivering a speech honoring his late father for his years of service.
In June of 2022, John was presented with the Buddy Bombet Lifetime Achievement Award at the Annual
NALI National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. This award is known as the most prestigious award and
recognition of an individual’s lifetime of achievement, benevolence, volunteerism, and loyalty to the
private investigation profession. You can speak with any number of his colleagues to hear that John
Lajoie emulated every bit of that and more.
John passed away peacefully at home on August 10, 2022, after a long and heroic battle. However,
according to his wife Susan, just as he did all his life, John spent his last few months, “turning each
situation into a fun learning experience.” He enjoyed a trip to Disney with his wife, three children and
granddaughter, he visited with friends, and even made time to teach his sister Lynn, who made an “ok”
macaroni salad, how to improve upon it, and then using that same technique, taught her to make THE
BEST potato salad as well, which his mother, Coralie (and then John once she passed), was known for.
Susan described John’s last few months as “a party”, a celebration of his life, rather than a sad occasion.
Although I didn’t personally get to meet John, speaking with Susan, reading through one of his two
books (Trials and Tribulations of a Real Life Private Eye), and seeing online all the many articles and
tributes made to John, I was able to feel as if I somehow had met him. His witty sense of humor, which
came across through numerous excerpts of his book, the twinkle is his blue eyes, that shines in the many
pictures that were shared with me, and the laugh I heard as I listened to a previously recorded podcast,
all culminate to paint a picture of a man who wanted to and achieved leaving his mark here on earth.
John’s love for his profession, as well as his family, shines strong in how he lived his life, and his
teachings will live on through the many works and treasures he has left behind. Although, one thing I
can say John was wrong about, at least for this article, is a quote you can find in his book, “don’t believe
everything you read in the newspaper”.
