TIMOTHY STEPHEN WAKEFIELD

WAKEFIELD, Timothy Stephen Baseball Player, family man, community leader and broadcaster Timothy Stephen Wakefield, 57, passed away suddenly on October 1, 2023 in Massachusetts. Beloved husband of Stacy (Stover) Wakefield; and loving father of son, Trevor, and daughter, Brianna. Tim was a native of Melbourne, FL and a resident of Hingham, MA. Born on August 2, 1966 in Melbourne, FL, Tim was a 1984 graduate of Eau Gallie High School. He attended Florida Institute of Technology, where he played first base on the Panthers baseball team and was named Most Valuable Player in 1987 and 1988. Wakefield was elected to the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame in 1998, and his No. 3 was retired by FIT 2006. In 1988, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first baseman and transitioned to pitcher in 1992. He pitched in 19 Major League seasons for the Pirates (1992-93) and Boston Red Sox (1995-2011). A two-time World Series champion (2004, 2007) and 2009 All-Star with Boston, Wakefield was named the American League's Comeback Player of the Year in 1995. A versatile member of Boston's pitching staff and the franchise's career leader in innings pitched (3,006.0), he is the only hurler ever to make 200 starts and 150 relief appearances for the club. With his final victory on September 13, 2011, he became the 89th modern Major Leaguer (since 1900) to reach 200 career wins. Following his pitching career, Wakefield joined NESN's pre- and post-game team in 2012, and in 2016 he was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame. Off the field, Wakefield was a passionate member of the community. He served as the Red Sox' first Jimmy Fund captain and made countless visits to the Jimmy Fund Clinic over the course of his playing career and beyond. He was also actively involved with "Pitching in for Kids," a non-profit organization dedicated to providing grants to improve the lives of children across New England. He supported Melbourne's Space Coast Early Intervention Center, a unique non-profit therapeutic pre-school program for children with special needs and raised over $10 million for the organization through his annual Tim Wakefield Celebrity Golf Classic and Memorabilia Auction. His "Wakefield Warriors" program enabled patients from the Franciscan Hospital for Children and the Jimmy Fund in Boston to visit with him and watch batting practice. For his off-the-field heroics, Major League Baseball recognized him in 2010 as one of the most charitable players in the game with the Roberto Clemente Award, his eighth time being nominated for the prestigious honor. In 2011, the Boston chapter of the BBWAA announced the start of an annual Tim Wakefield Community Service Award in his honor. He was named Honorary Chairman of the Red Sox Foundation in 2013 and served on its board for 10 years. An outdoorsman, Tim was an avid golfer, hunter and fisherman. Combining his passions of golf and community, Tim played in multiple charity golf tournaments annually, raising money for nonprofit organizations throughout the country. Above all else, Tim was most dedicated to Stacy, Trevor, and Brianna. Tim also leaves behind his parents, Lester (Steve) and Julia (Judy); his sister, Kelly; his mother-in-law, Patricia (Tarkanian) Stover; and father-in-law, James Stover. Beloved by his teammates and friends, "Wake" will be remembered for his selflessness, his generosity, and the kindness he extended to everyone he met. He was the ultimate team player, often sacrificing personal career achievements for the sake of the team. Services will be private. A Public Service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tim's name to the Red Sox Foundation online at redsoxfoundation.org/tim Cards of condolences can be sent to 4 Jersey Street, Boston, MA, 02215. Online guestbook at gfdoherty.com George F. Doherty & Sons Dedham 781-326-0500