Desmond G. Vogelsang

Charlton: Desmond G. Vogelsang, 88, of Main St., passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Saturday, June 15th, at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Memorial Campus, Worcester, after a brief illness.
Desmond leaves his beloved wife of 64 years, Bridget (O'Neill) Vogelsang; his two daughters, Amanda Thamer and her husband Thomas of Sturbridge and Heidi Graff and her husband Kenneth of Franklin, TN; his seven grandchildren, Matthew Brierton and his wife Jennifer, Taylor Burnham and her husband Dr. Benjamin Burnham, Allison Graff and her fiancé Alex Brown, Kenneth Graff and his wife Grace, Mary Graff and her fiancé Issac Wentzel, Todd Thamer and his wife Stephanie, Lisa Smith and her husband Kevin; his eight great grandchildren, Riley, Nolan, Kolbe, Julien, Myles, Vivien, Ambur and Abigail as well as many beloved relatives back in Ireland. He was predeceased by many brothers and sisters.
Desmond was born in Marino, Dublin, Ireland the son of the late Frederick and Adelaide (Kenny) Vogelsang. He worked for several years as a foreman for Capewell Manufacturing in Hartford, Connecticut followed by custodial work in the Bolton, Connecticut school system prior to retiring many years ago. Desmond, fondly referred to as "Papa" by many, spent a good portion of his retirement driving his grandchildren and neighborhood children to and from school, where he shared his love of sports and music and blessed them all with his brilliant storytelling. Desmond had a great sense of humor and was known for his jokes, love of music and soccer and playing pool, as well as a good game of golf. Desmond touched a lot of lives. It was not uncommon to find him sitting on the front porch with neighborhood friends and family enjoying a glass of wine and spinning a tale or two. He also enjoyed the occasional trip to the casino. He was a devout Catholic and a member of St. Joseph's Church in Charlton and the Knights of Columbus Council 11379. Desmond truly loved his family and was proud to share stories of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
A funeral Mass for Desmond will be held on Wednesday, June 19th, at 5:00pm in St. Joseph's Church, 10 H. Putnam Rd. Ext., Charlton. A Calling hour will be held in St. Joseph's Church on Wednesday, June 19th, from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, prior to the Mass. Burial will be private and held at the convenience of the family.