David Towler Devaney

CLINTON

David Towler Devaney, 86, of Clinton and Fort Lauderdale, FL, died on Friday, November 9th. David was born July 18, 1926, the son of Paul Leo Devaney, Sr. (1895-1937) and Mary Veronica O'Brien (1893-1984) in Clinton, MA. He attended St. John's and Holy Rosary elementary schools in Clinton and graduated from Clinton High School in 1944. He married his high school sweetheart, Ellen Marie Cannon, on September 14, 1948 in St. John's Church.

David served as an Air Crewman in the Naval Air Corp during WWII and following the war graduated from St. Michael's College in Winooski, Vermont in 1950.

David worked in the design and sale of industrial packaging materials for thirty-five years and then served on the Clinton Board of Assessors for fifteen years; the last ten as Chairman of that board.David was a Past Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus, a past President of the New England chapter of Society of Packaging & Handling Engineers (SPHE), and a member of the Clinton Elks.

David's interests were his family, his home (he always had a project going), his automobile (he was a real car buff) and family genealogy. He was particularly interested in the history of his branch of the Devaney clan and made four trips to Ireland in his search of historical information. He also loved music, everything from jazz to semi-classical. He loved a well-trained human voice; inspired as a boy by listening to the beautiful and powerful voice of George (Doddy) Conners filling St John's church.Over the years he enjoyed the conviviality and the humor he found in Ireland and in the Clinton ("Little Mayo") pub scene.

He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Ellen Marie Cannon; twelve children in order of birth: Mary Margaret Colombo, of Kennebunk, ME; David Towler Devaney Jr. of Arnold, MD; Brien Michael Devaney of Lancaster; Sheila Mary Flaherty of Clinton; Ellen Marie Turini of Clinton; Kevin Cannon Devaney of Summerfield, NC; Sean Peter Devaney of Fort Lauderdale, FL; Mark David Devaney of Greer, SC; Nan Mary Heighton of Clinton; Daniel Martin Devaney of Worcester; Sarah Towler O'Neil of Clinton, and Christopher James Devaney of Leominster; thirty-two grandchildren, twenty-one great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

David was predeceased by an infant son, Raymond Francis, in 1949 and his son Paul Jude in 2002. He was also predeceased by an infant brother, James Eugene Devaney in 1927, brother Paul Leo Devaney Jr. in 1977, and his sister, Sheila Devaney Grady in1981.

A funeral Mass will be held in St. John the Evangelist Church, 80 Union St., Clinton, on Monday, November 12th, at 11:00 a.m. The family respectfully requests that those attending go directly to the church. Burial will take place in St. John's Cemetery, Lancaster. Calling hours will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 11th in the McNally & Watson Funeral Home, 304 Church St., Clinton. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Diabetes Association, 10 Speen St., 2nd Fl, Framingham, MA 01701, in David's memory.