John F. Landry Jr

Wednesday, March 21 2007 @ 06:02 AM EDT

Boston Herald -- John F. Landry Jr. was remembered yesterday as an "all-around good kid" and hardworking student whose fascination with the military led him to join the Army and deploy to Iraq, where he died this past weekend.

Pfc. Landry, 20, grew up in Lowell and graduated from Lowell Catholic High School in 2005 with a tight-knit class of only about 55 other students.

"John was just an all-around good kid," said Donna Deveau, who works in alumni relations at Lowell Catholic, where Landry is remembered fondly. "He had a great sense of humor. He wanted to be friends with people. He worked hard at it."

Landry, a 5-foot-10-inch tall, 240-pound linebacker in high school, was co-captain of the football team his senior year and played alongside Deveau’s son. He also played basketball and was an ambitious student who took honors courses, she said.

Landry’s parents, Pamela and John Landry Sr., received the news of their son’s death while vacationing in Florida.

William Landry, who lives in Billerica, said his nephew was killed in combat in Iraq on St. Patrick’s Day.

He said Landry was intrigued with the military growing up and passed up several college admission offers to join the Army, where he was a rifleman.

"Ever since he was a little kid, he always was fascinated with wars and generals, military strategies and history," Landry’s uncle said. "You could ask him about any war and he knew everything."

He said Landry, who was very close to his parents, was home on leave about 10 days ago and vacationed with his parents.

Deveau, who said Landry kept in contact with her after graduation, hopes the school can plan a memorial service in his honor.

A statement released yesterday by the school called Landry a "tenacious athlete, a hard-working student and a great citizen."

"Overall, he was a well-rounded, happy-go-lucky kid who brought so much to Lowell Catholic High School," the statement reads.

Landry served in the Army with Company C, 2nd Battalion, with the 12th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team in the 1st Cavalry Division.

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