M. Brendan Fleming

M. Brendan Fleming
The 75th Mayor of Lowell

LOWELL -- M. Brendan Fleming, 90, of Lowell, MA, died peacefully Saturday, May 28, 2016, at Bridges by Epoch, Westford, MA.

He was married to the late Bernice (Kenney) Fleming for 55 years, who passed away in November of 2007. He was the son of the late Martin and Anna (O'Malley) Fleming.

Mr. Fleming was the Mayor of Lowell from 1982 to 1984 and a member of the City Council for nine terms between 1969 and 1992. For nearly 40 years, he was a member of the mathematics department faculty at UMass Lowell, originally joining the Lowell Technological Institute faculty in 1958. He was also a certified Parliamentarian advising civic and private association boards and an officer of the American Parliamentarians Association.

Committed to the renewal of what at the time was an economically depressed city, Mr. Fleming began his political career in 1965 as a board member of the Lowell Redevelopment Authority, an agency leading federal urban renewal projects.

Over the next five years, Mr. Fleming advocated for the creation of the Lowell Historic District Commission, the establishment of the "Lowell Locks and Canals Historic District", and the creation of the "City Hall Historic District." Mr. Fleming's efforts were among those of many community activists that were the foundation of Lowell's historic preservation and restoration.

Mr. Fleming attended Sacred Heart School, graduated from Keith Academy in the Class of 1943, and earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in mathematics from Boston College, Class of 1950.

He served with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater during WWII, as a Quartermaster First Class assigned to LCI 714. He earned the World War II Victory Medal, American Theatre Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Medal- 1 star. Mr. Fleming was among many of the US military preparing for the invasion of Japan which became unnecessary after the Japanese surrender subsequent to the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

He was a life time parishioner of the Sacred Heart Parish, later the Holy Family Parish in Lowell.

Mr. Fleming dedicated his time to the Sacred Heart Parish, Holy Name Society, St. Vincent DePaul Society, PreCana Classes, Knights of Columbus, and served on the Board of Trustees of Central Catholic High School and Lowell Catholic High School; Board Trustee of St. John's Hospital, Lowell.

He also served on many civic boards and committees including the the Northeast Solid Waste Committee and Massachusetts Police Association.

He is survived by four sons and three daughters, Dr. Martin and Patricia Fleming of Greenwich, CT; Marybeth Holak of Windham, NH; Thomas and Jeanne Fleming of Chelmsford, MA; Rev. James Fleming, S.J. of Wheeling, WV; Ann Marie Crafts and her husband, Brian of Chelmsford, MA; Patricia Quigley and her companion, Robert Dolan of Wellesley, MA; Colonel (Ret.) Edward and Barbara Fleming of Arlington, VA.

He was the grandfather of 14 grandchildren and their spouses; Brian and Erin Fleming of Milton, MA; Mark and Katie (Fleming) Riesmeyer of Glen Ellyn, IL; Ricky Holak of Oakland, CA; Rita Rose Holak and her fiancé, Zachary Amendola of Guilford, CT; Andrew and Rebecca Fleming of Hudson, NH; Jeremy and Sarah (Fleming) Brown of Hudson, NH; Colleen Fleming and Anthony Bernard of Cambridge, MA; Dale and Elizabeth (Fleming) Robert of Nashua, NH; Lt. Kevin Fleming, Vilseck, Germany; Erin Crafts and her fiancé, Nicholas Tucker of San Mateo, CA; Michael Crafts and his fiancée, Lauren Sheidler of New York, NY; Rachel Quigley and Leah Quigley of Wellesley, MA; Megan Fleming of Chapel Hill, NC.

Mr. Fleming also has seven great-grandchildren; Tessa Fleming of Milton, MA; Abby and Connor Riesmeyer of Glen Ellyn, IL; Timothy Brendan Fleming of Hudson, NH; Ethan and Ayla Brown of Hudson, NH; Chole Robert of Philadelphia, PA.

Also survived by his sister-in-law, Barbara Powers, Seabrook, NH; and brother-in-law, James Kenney, State College, PA. He was the brother of the late John Fleming. He was predeceased by his son-in-law, Patrick Quigley.

FLEMING -- Visiting hours Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 to 8 P.M. Funeral Thursday at 10 AM from the DOLAN FUNERAL HOME, 106 MIDDLESEX ST., CHELMSFORD, with a funeral Mass at 11 AM at the Immaculate Conception in Lowell. Burial in St. Patrick Cemetery, Lowell. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the M. Brendan Fleming Memorial Scholarship, Lowell Catholic High School, 530 Stevens St., Lowell, MA 01851. ARRANGEMENTS BY DOLAN FUNERAL HOME, 978-251-4041. Guestbook at www.dolanfuneralhome.com