U.S. Navy veteran, loved 50’s vintage and Boston sports
MELROSE — Brian D. MacPhee, age 70, of Melrose, passed away at his home on May 17 surrounded by his loving family after multiple years of battling Interstitial Lung Disease.
Loving husband of Joanne M. (Coleman) MacPhee. Loving father of Brian P. MacPhee & his wife Lindsay of Stoneham; Paul M. MacPhee of Reading and Melissa M. MacPhee of Nashua, NH. Proud grandfather of Shaun P. and Liam B. MacPhee and Jackson and Brady Freitas. Brother of the late Patricia Stooks and Rita MacPhee. Also survived by many other loving family members and friends.
Brian grew up in the 1950’s with his mom, dad and sisters on Bowdoin St. in Malden. Brian attended Malden public schools as a young boy before crossing one town over to attend high school at Melrose High. After high school he enlisted in the Navy, spent time as a park police officer in Medford and went on to have a 30+ year career at John Hancock in Boston; before taking an early retirement to spend “even more time” with his wife Joanne. Brian met Joanne in the mid 70’s when he was renting an apartment in Melrose, directly across the street from Joanne’s childhood home. As fate would have it, they soon married and spent the next 46 years together in Melrose; raising a beautiful family, creating lasting memories with so many laughable moments that will never be forgotten.
Brian was one of a kind; a larger than life presence, but truly a big teddy bear inside. A guy’s guy, with a no BS, straight to the point approach who was loved by many. During Brian’s retirement, his wife Joanne got a job (lunch lady) at Melrose High School and because he could never leave her side, he also accepted a role (hall monitor). Walk to work, with summers off, where both of them had attended high school many years before. This experience was never viewed as a job or work by either of them; they loved every minute of it. The relationships built with so many students over the years is something he truly enjoyed. Brian couldn’t understand why he was asked by so many students over the years to hand out their diploma’s. His family knew why; he was just a good guy who wanted to help provide a little support and direction to many.
Brian was so proud of his 3 ‘kids’ and favorite daughter in law; he loved them more than anything. Being ‘Grampy’ to 4 grandsons was the icing on the cake. His family knows this one is going to hurt for some time, but are all deeply relieved he is no longer suffering. Brian had a love for vintage 50’s nostalgia, Boston sports, playing x-mas music throughout the house the day after Halloween and having coffee with Joanne on the ‘porch’. The porch and neighborhood won’t be the same. Rest in Peace!
Visitation was held at the Gately Funeral Home, 79 W. Foster St., Melrose on Sunday, May 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Incarnation Church, 425 Upham St., Melrose on Monday, May 22 at 10 a.m. Burial followed at Wyoming Cemetery in Melrose. Relatives and friends were respectfully invited to attend. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions were made to the Brian D. MacPhee Scholarship Fund at MHS Permanent Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 760695, Melrose, MA 02176 or at www.mhsfund.org, attention Brian D. MacPhee. To send a message of condolence please, visit www.gatelyfh.com.
