JOHN JOSEPH "SKIP" LYONS Jr.

LYONS, John Joseph Jr. "Skip" Age 90, of Dedham, passed away on July 25, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. A lifelong resident of Dedham, John was the son of the late John J. Lyons, Sr. and Mabel E. (Scott) Lyons. John also had four sisters, Barbara, Jean, Jane and Ruth. John was predeceased by the love of his life, Anne Louise (Keefe) Lyons. John and Anne were happily married for over 60 years. They set the bar extremely high for a lifetime of love and respect. John was the loving father of Suzanne Weeks of Dedham, David Lyons of Framingham, Elaine and Chris Madden of Kennebunk, ME, Pamela and Brian Riley of Dedham and Jennifer and John McCormick of Dedham. John was such a proud and involved "Papa" to his nine grandchildren, William Weeks, Tommy, Lily and Audrey Madden, John and Max Riley, Mabel, Maggie and Meryl McCormick. John had so many incredible adventures, sleepovers and fun times with his grandkids. John loved his many nieces and nephews and had some special friends who were dear to his heart. John was always willing to go the extra mile to help out those in need. John was a graduate of Dedham High School, class of 1951. After graduation, John joined the United States Marine Corps. He was extremely proud to serve his country. John was a member of the Dedham American Legion Post 18 for 69 years. John was a lifelong learner and earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Northeastern University. John was always civic minded and served as a Dedham Public Library trustee for many years, as well as being a member of the Blue Hills Regional Technical School Committee for 19 years. John was a fixture at the Oakdale Coffee Shop "the Spa," where he met many friends and shared his gift of gab over bottomless cups of coffee. John's life was service-based, beginning with his childhood job delivering newspapers. John was a postal worker for the USPS, a teacher, a volunteer tutor and principal. His favorite position was being principal of Quincy School in East Dedham for over 23 years. John cherished his summers at his home on Great Herring Pond in Plymouth, where he loved boating, feeding the birds, reading and sparking up the grill for family and friends. He and his wife, Anne, were never without a book and were always finding new ways to learn. John was a whiz at Jeopardy and would usually sweep the categories, especially in history and geography. He was almost always correct on final Jeopardy. John and Anne took some amazing trips across the U.S.A. and throughout Canada. "The love of a family is strong and deep, leaving us memories to treasure and keep." During his final years, John was surrounded by the family he loved so much. In life, how a person treats their family says a lot of their character. John was a gentleman who had a brilliant mind and an incredible wit. John lived an exemplary life. He will be GREATLY missed. A Visitation will be held at the George F. Doherty & Sons Wilson-Cannon Funeral Home, 456 High St., DEDHAM, on Wednesday, July 31, from 10am-12pm, followed by a Funeral Service, in the funeral home, at 12pm. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Interment in Brookdale Cemetery, Dedham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Dedham Food Pantry, 600 Washington St., Dedham, MA 02026. Online guestbook at gfdoherty.com George F. Doherty & Sons Dedham 781-326-0500