US Navy veteran
WAKEFIELD — John C. Carmody, age 86, of Wakefield passed away peacefully on March 25 at the Brightview Senior Living Center in Wakefield.
John was born in Wakefield on January 8, 1938 and was the son of the late Cornelius M. and Mary A. (Curran) Carmody. John was raised in Wakefield and was a graduate of Wakefield High School. Passionate about education and committed to being a lifelong learner, John continued to pursue higher education throughout his life, attending night school and receiving his bachelor’s degree from Leslie College just two days before his son, Sean. Holding many hats throughout his career, he first worked at Saunders Associates, where he and colleagues patented a laser of which he was very proud. He then went on to Digital Equipment Corporation where he worked from the 1970’s-1990’s, ten more years at One Beacon and ultimately landing at JetBlue where he was fondly known as “Papa John” and worked for another ten years before retiring at the age of 78.
John proudly served our country as a member of the United States Navy in his younger years. Upon completion of his service time, he settled in Wakefield to raise his family. He was heavily involved in youth sports, specifically football, basketball and baseball, through boards and coaching while his sons were young. John enjoyed traveling; as a self-proclaimed history buff with a great interest in his Irish heritage, he most enjoyed two noteworthy trips to Ireland. John always enjoyed watching college football. While initially rooting for Navy and Notre Dame, in the 1980’s he became a Boston College fan while watching his son Sean play football. John and his wife Maryanne relished their time tailgating and traveling to attend almost all away games. His most memorable trips were to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, the Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa and the 1988 Emerald Isle Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
He was the beloved husband of the late Maryanne (DiFederico) with whom he shared 63 wonderful years of marriage. He is survived by his two sons, Stephen Carmody and his wife Kathleen of Naples, FL and Sean Carmody and his wife Lisa of Northbridge; his sister, Maureen Biscardi and her husband Peter of Woburn; his grandchildren, Jennifer Beaver and her husband Brendan; Sean Carmody and his wife Kelly; Megan Carmody; Brendan Carmody; Kaitlyn Aldridge and her husband Douglas; and Erin Gerroir, as well as six great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Paul Carmody.
John’s family wishes to thank the staff at Brightview Senior Living Center and Hands and Hearts Hospice for their kindness and skilled and compassionate care.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield on Tuesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. Visitation for relatives and friends will be held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Monday, April 1 from 4 to 7 p.m. Interment with military honors will be held at Forest Glade Cemetery, Wakefield. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hands and Hearts Hospice, 34 Washington St., Suite 100, Wellesley, MA 02481. For the online guestbook and directions, please visit www.mcdonaldfs.com.
