Francis Wadsworth Birch

Francis Wadsworth Birch, of Melrose, formerly of South Dennis, died peacefully and surrounded by his family at the Winchester Hospital on December 4, 2009 after a lengthy battle with COPD. He was 82. Francis was born in Cambridge on January 15, 1927 and lived with his family in Belmont until he graduated from Belmont High School. He then enlisted in the United States Army where he proudly and honorably served his country during World War II. In 1950 he married Barbara Beardsley in the Belmont Unitarian Church. Together they settled in Lexington in 1953 and lived there for over 21 years while they raised their four children. They later moved to Natick and then in 1992 finally settled on Cape Cod. Initially they lived in Eastham and then later in South Dennis. They moved to Melrose in April of this year. Fran worked for Ionics Corporation in Watertown for many years as a product expeditor. Previously, he had worked for Itek in Bedford and RCA in Waltham. Mr. Birch was an active and devoted member of the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Chatham where he was a founding member of its men’s group. He was also a longtime member of the Cape Cod COPD Support Group; the Nauset Newcomers, and the Lexington Chapter of NAFCA. He was also a member for many years of the Lexington Volunteer Fire Department. Fran leaves his wife of 59 years, Barbara Beardsley Birch; his children, Leslie B. Ebert and her husband, Joseph, of Medway, Alison B. Birch and her husband, Matthew Starr, of Melrose, Meredith W. Keaveney of Foxboro, and Dana W. Birch and his wife, Tish, of Fort Mill, South Carolina; his siblings, Eleanor Wilson of Aurora, CO, Sylvia Robinson of Newington, CT, Louise Carr of Bend, OR, and Richard Birch and his wife, Nancy, of Hollis, NH; also survived by 8 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren; and many nieces & nephews. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a Memorial Service at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at The Unitarian Universalist Meeting House in Chatham, 819 Main Street, Chatham, MA. The Reverend Edmund Robinson will officiate. Interment with military honors at The Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne will be private. There are no visiting hours. Memorials in his name may be made to the Cape Cod COPD Support Group, c/o Dorothy Pike, 404A Great Marsh Road, Centerville, MA 02632 or to the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 819 Main Street, P.O. Box 18, Chatham, MA 02633.