Obituary of David H. Alden

To watch livestream of David's Funeral Mass please click LINK.

David H. Alden, of Burlington, MA, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, retired engineer, and Korean War veteran, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday night, February 4, 2025, with his family by his side. He was 90 years old.

Born in Windsor, Vermont, David was the youngest of three children born to Raymond and Kathryn (McLaughlin) Alden. He grew up in West Newton where he received his education and developed a deep sense of community.

At the age of 20, David enlisted in the U.S. Army to serve his country during the Korean War. He served with honor for two years, attaining the rank of Specialist Third Class, and earned the Good Conduct Medal for his dedication and service.

After returning from the war, David went on to have a distinguished career as a mechanical engineer. He worked for ADL in Cambridge, Kennecott in Lexington, Magnion, Inc. in Burlington, MKS in North Andover, and BASF in Billerica. He was known for his exceptional problem-solving abilities. Self-taught rather than formally educated, David had a remarkable knack for assessing complex situations and finding practical solutions. His colleagues admired him not only for his expertise but also for his work ethic and his ability to get things done efficiently and effectively.

Outside of his professional life, David was deeply committed to his faith and to helping others. A devout Catholic, he lived his life guided by the principle that "God's meaning of love is to show kindness to all living things." His strong Catholic faith was the cornerstone of his decisions and actions throughout his life.

David was an active parishioner at both St. Malachy’s Church in Burlington and St. James Catholic Church in Lake Placid, Florida, where he was a familiar and dedicated parishioner along with serving as Eucharist Minister. He believed strongly in serving others, and his community involvement reflected this belief. Throughout his life, he volunteered with organizations such as the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Meals on Wheels, A Friendly Visitor, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Habitat for Humanity including traveling to Guatemala where he helped to construct a building for processing coffee.  His compassion extended to mentoring school children and helping wherever there was a need, such as helping family, friends and neighbors with their computers, cars, and knowledge of anything mechanical.

David enjoyed many summers at Newfound Lake with his family. He enjoyed swimming, sailing, canoeing, fishing and cocktail hour while watching the sunset. He most enjoyed working with his hands on many projects alongside Wendell. He cherished his friendship with Wendell, often calling him his mentor.

David's legacy will be remembered by all who knew him as a man whose kindness, selflessness, and faith guided every action. He will be remembered as a man who gave of himself, always seeking to lift up others in any way he could. His family takes great comfort in knowing that he lived a life that was both purposeful and full of love.

David was devoted to his family.  He was always outnumbered with a house of all women, including a female cat. He was a strong role model and a source of strength to all his family. He was the beloved husband of 65 years to Marie (Micci) Alden.  He was the proud father of Margaret St. Onge (Donald) of Hudson, NH, Sharon Miller of Woburn, MA, Davida Alden (Michael Grassia) of Wilmington, MA and Kathryn Czerwinski (Mark) of Billerica, MA. He was the brother of Jayne Greenlun of Ohio and Priscilla Garrett of California.  He was the proud grandfather of David (Amanda) St. Onge, Jeffrey (Colleen) St. Onge, Michael (Gina) Miller, Matthew Miller, Miles (Sarah) Miller, Marc (Chelsea) Grassia, Mikayla Grassia, Joseph Czerwinski, Thomas Czerwinski, and Daniel (Lisa) Czerwinski. He was the great grandfather of Mackenzie & Delaney Grassia, Thomas & Liam St. Onge, Timothy & Nathan St. Onge, Michael & Jackson Miller, and Paloma Miller.  David is also survived by his sister-in-law Joanna Pagano, West Roxbury, MA, many nieces, nephews, and friends from all over the world.

He will most be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, whose love, kindness, & knowledge will be greatly missed by his family.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Malachy Church in St. Veronica Parish, 99 Bedford St., Burlington on Friday, February 21 at 10 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. 

For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.  Arrangements by the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in David’s name to Heartbeat, 113 Winn Street, Burlington, MA 01803 or to Raymond James Charitable, P.O. Box 23559, St.Petersburg, FL 33742, Memo: Lena Marie Pagano Foundation.