Who is John and Why is a Hudson Valley Dispensary Giving Him His Own Day?

You're going to want to visit one particular dispensary this Friday to celebrate "A Day For John".

Hudson Valley Dispensary Hosts "A Day For John'

Dutchess Roots on Route 9 in Poughkeepsie is planning a special event on May 1 that will warm more than your pipe. The shop has decided to donate 50 percent of everything it sells on Friday to a very special cause.

They’re calling it “A Day for John,” and it’s meant to honor the life of longtime Hudson Valley leader and philanthropist John O’Shea, who passed away last year.

Who Was John O'Shea?

If the name sounds familiar, it should. O’Shea spent decades shaping the region through business, healthcare, education, and community service. O’Shea, a U.S. Navy veteran, joined Marshall+Sterling Insurance in 1955, eventually becoming its CEO and serving as Chairman of the Board.

For over seven decades, O'Shea has given back to the Hudson Valley. He served as a founding trustee of Health Quest Systems, chaired the Board of Trustees at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and was as chairman of the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce.

His commitment to the region also included leadership roles with the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, the Bardavon 1869 Opera House, and Marist College, which named the John and Nancy O’Shea Residence Hall in tribute to him and his wife.

O’Shea was also the grandfather of the dispensary’s president, Lisa Tatelbaum Sweeney. Instead of a quiet remembrance, Sweeney has decided to turn John's birthday into something that reflects how he lived, by giving back to the community he cared about.

Hudson Valley Hospice, which cared for O’Shea, will receive all proceeds from the fundraiser. The donations will help to support the more than 600 local patients and families the organization serves each year.

How to Participate This Friday

If you stop in to Dutchess Roots on Friday, you’ll see tributes set up throughout the store celebrating O’Shea’s life. Customers will also be informed that every purchase they make will help fund hospice care across Dutchess and Ulster counties, from in-home support to specialized therapies and end-of-life services.

Dutchess Roots says it plans to make “A Day for John” an annual tradition.