FRANCIS W. DOHERTY

DOHERTY, Francis W. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dad, Francis W. Doherty, who passed away on July 5, at the age of 69, with his family by his side. He was fondly known as Franny, Farmer and Da to his many friends and family. He was a loving father to Lauren Mersereau and Sara Duquette, and he leaves behind five beloved grandchildren. Franny was born and raised in Woburn, where he attended Woburn Public Schools before finishing high school at Austin Preparatory School in Reading, graduating with the class of 1973. He pursued higher education at the Hamden School of Pharmacy, earning his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy in 1978. He began his career working in retail at L.J. Murphy Drug Store in Woburn, where he worked alongside his uncle, Jimmy Murphy. After several years of working in retail, Franny followed his passion for patient care to Lahey Clinic in Burlington, where he served as a Senior Oncology Pharmacist. In 1992, Franny joined Massachusetts General Hospital, becoming a Senior Attending Pharmacist. For many years, he would bring his daughters to work for the annual "Bring Your Daughters to Work Day," giving them a glimpse of the vital work he did at the hospital. He retired from MGH in 2020 after 28 years of dedicated service. One of his proudest professional moments was being honored on his twenty-fifth work anniversary. He took immense pride in his contributions at MGH and the role he played in assisting patients. During his time at MGH, he formed many close friendships with his colleagues. Franny was passionate about being a pharmacist. He was dedicated, hardworking, and enjoyed sharing his expertise and experience with young pharmacists beginning their careers. He was especially proud of his nieces, Kelley Doherty and Elizabeth Roche, who followed in his footsteps and became pharmacists themselves. Outside of work, you could find him coaching his daughters and their friends on the softball diamond or cheering (and still coaching) from the sidelines. He also enjoyed playing in various men's softball leagues over the years. Later, he relocated to Buzzards Bay, where he had spent many childhood summers on Taylor's Point. He loved sharing his passion for fishing, boating, and quahogging with his daughters, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. After a successful fishing or quahogging trip, he was in the kitchen or on the grill preparing the fresh catch and sharing it with family and neighbors. Franny was also famous for is Bloody Mary's, having mastered the recipe while keeping a few ingredients a secret. He loved entertaining at the Cape and sharing the fantastic view of boats cruising down the Cape Cod Canal. With a great sense of humor, Franny would often make jokes and entertain everyone with his endless stories. He was fun-loving and a loyal friend. He enjoyed socializing and having new adventures with his numerous friends, many of whom he had known since childhood. He was also a member of the Irish American Club of Woburn, the Woburn Lodge of Elks, and the Wareham Lodge of Elks. As a dedicated family man, Franny cherished every moment spent with his loved ones. He is survived by and will be deeply missed by his two daughters, Lauren Mersereau, her husband, Tim of North Andover and Sara Duquette, her husband, Kevin of Dennis; along with his former wife, Elizabeth (Mills) Doherty of Woburn. He was the treasured grandfather of Tommy, Riley, Gavin, Kaelyn, and Charlotte. Dear brother of Paul Doherty, his wife, Claire of Buzzards Bay, Robert Doherty, his wife, Mary of Leland, NC, Elisa Roche of Woburn and Charles Draper, III of Cotuit. Franny was predeceased by his parents, Chief Paul L. Doherty and Mary E. (Murphy) Doherty of Woburn; his sister, Ellen Draper of Falmouth; and his brother-in-law, Kevin Roche of Woburn. He also leaves behind several devoted nieces and nephews, many caring aunts, uncles, and cousins; as well as his dear friend, Jimmy Callan of Buzzards Bay. A Celebration of Life for family and friends to come together and share memories will be announced at a later date. Friends and family are encouraged to visit the Cartmell-Davis Funeral Home website, at www.cartmelldavis.com to leave a guestbook entry. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Franny's memory to Massachusetts General Hospital HHT Center of Excellence, at 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02115 or The Jimmy Fund, at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284. These organizations were dear to his heart.

View the online memorial for Francis W. DOHERTY