William J Maher Jr.

My dad had a great life. He does not quite fit the standards of the Sermon on Mount: he was neither meek nor poor in spirit. And though he may have complained of persecution by biased anti- Boston referees and umpires over the years, he truly lived well and enjoyed much success. He taught me about loyalty, doing things the hard way, and how to build and maintain friendships over a lifetime. At the end of his life, he also taught me about love, letting go, and vulnerability. He was born in Brighton, MA on February 10th, 1941, to William and Mary (Roche) Maher into an Irish Catholic neighborhood full of the fastest, strongest, and brightest people on earth, where he thrived. He still has friends from Gardena Street, and we all know the stories. After graduating from St. Columbkille High School, and after my grandmother berated the Boston Archdiocese for charging outrageous tuition ($500.oo), he attended Boston College as a commuter student, earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He courted and somehow convinced Priscilla Donaldson of Weymouth, MA to date and marry him, clearly the best decision he ever made. He quickly proved a terrible liar: making up a story of his Olympic skiing prowess on a trip with my mom to Gunstock Mountain in New Hampshire. His wooden skis, ill-fitting boots, and poor skiing gave him away. Somehow, he must have charmed her anyway. After graduating from BC in 1963, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and after they were married in December of that year, they took off for Camp Pendleton in California. Before he was deployed overseas to Vietnam, their first son, William, arrived in 1965. Dad spent one year in Vietnam, which translated into a lifetime of good-hearted ribbing about how Agent Orange had contributed to any subsequent mishap, malaprop or mistake. After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, they moved back to Norwell, MA. My brother Chris was born in 1967, and the Mahers started to put down roots with families we still consider some of our best friends. He began his thirty-three-year career with General Electric. Though we never quite knew what he did there, he did leave for work early enough that we felt he must have been the guy in charge of turning the lights on in the morning for the plant. I came along in 1971, and our family was complete! We spent our most formative years in Topsfield and Cotuit Massachusetts. The memories between these two places are full and long. The arc of my dad's life is one rich with humor and laughter, something I have come to cherish every day. My parents were able to travel widely in retirement: to Europe, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, and South America. This exposure not only broadened their perspective (though not their daily diet choices), it also brought great focus to what they had built: a good life, together.

My brothers and I have been blessed with parents who valued education, family time, and hard work. It has been my great fortune to watch my parents get to launch their children, welcome grandchildren (and soon a great grandchild) and enjoy the fruits of a long and happy life. They have lived and loved in Norwell; Trumbull, Connecticut; Topsfield, MA; Cotuit, MA and most recently in Exeter, NH and Vero Beach, Florida.

William J Maher, Jr. left behind several immovable mailbox posts, dug deep into the earth; several basketball hoops standing tall in all our driveways; and several work benches, secured with every possible fastener to all our basement foundations; 7 bottles of bleach in various stages of fullness, and several spray cans of Raid. He has not left his family and friends behind, rather he left us in front: most importantly, his beloved wife of 62 years Priscilla (Donaldson) Maher of Exeter; his oldest son, William with his wife Kathy of Newton, MA and two children Joseph and Morgan and Joe's wife Emma; his second son, Christopher with his wife Michelle of North Andover, MA and two children Allison and Lauren; and his favorite son, Jeffrey with his partner Renee of Brunswick Maine, and his two children Helen and William.

Visiting hours will be held at the Stockbridge Funeral Home located at 141 Epping Rd. Exeter on Friday September 5th from 4-6pm.

The Marine Corps founded and continues to support Toys for Tots. My dad loved children, and no child should be left wanting, especially at Christmas or any holiday. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his honor to this great organization.