Charles E. Duffy

DUFFY, CHARLES E of Westwood, MA passed away on December 29th at the age of 78. A resident of Westwood for nearly five decades, Charlie is survived by his wife of 52 years Jane Cragan Duffy, his daughter Lynn (and David) Berkley of Needham and his sons Rob (and Stacie) Duffy of Potomac, Maryland and Ted (and Emily) Duffy of London, England and their children Tom, Maggie, Brynn, Jack, Charlie, Henry, Cragan and Spencer. Charlie also leaves behind his sister Alice (and the late Paul) Campanella of Wellesley and his brothers Paul (and Sheilagh) Duffy of Falmouth and Frank (and Noel) Duffy of Boston, and his in-laws Anne Cragan (and the late James) Connerton of Stonington, Connecticut, and Mary Cragan (and David) Motherway, also of Stonington, as well as many nieces, nephews, and dear friends. A Boston native, Charlie was born on March 10, 1943, the youngest child of Grace and Charles Duffy. He graduated from Hyde Park High School (1959) before moving on to Stonehill College (1963) and earning a Master of Education at Boston State College (1964). After his education was complete, Charlie enjoyed a 38-year career in marketing and sales with the phone company, starting with New England Telephone and ultimately retiring from Verizon in 2003. A talented musician and performer, Charlie was often called upon by family and friends to break out his guitar or sit down at the piano to entertain the crowd. Charlie leaned into his love of music throughout his life from his early days in the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps to later in life playing leading roles in the First Parish Couples Club Theatre Group and as a member of the St. Margaret Mary Church choir. After retirement, he joined the Boston Saengerfest Men's Chorus, a group he enjoyed performing with across the world, from Boston's Symphony Hall to Royal Albert Hall in London. Sports also played a key role in Charlie's life. He was an avid tennis player and cyclist himself, though his mark in the sporting world was most pronounced in the way he threw himself into the lives of his children as the president of both the Westwood Gridiron Club and Westwood Youth Baseball while coaching many soccer, softball and baseball teams along the way. Once his coaching days were behind him, Charlie loved nothing more than spending his fall afternoons with Jane and their friends at tailgates and stadiums across the Northeast from Hanover to Durham to Worcester supporting his kids. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a visitation in St. Margaret Mary Church, 845 High Street, Westwood on Wednesday morning January 5th from 9:30 – 11am. Following the visitation, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Margaret Mary Church at 11am. Face masks are required for both the visitation and the Mass. Interment will be at New Westwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Charlie's memory to the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps at https://bostoncrusaders.org/donate/ Holden-Dunn-Lawler www.hdlfuneralhome.net