Obituary of John Marshall

John A. Marshall, a resident of Burlington for 45 years, passed away at his home with his family by his side on Monday evening, January 9, 2007. The husband of Phyllis (Thistle) he was 72 years old. John was born, raised and educated in Chelsea. He was the son of the late John W. and Angelina Marshall. John had a very successful career as a Designer of Lighting Fixtures. He retired from Lightolier in Wilmington He also worked at M.I.T. Lincoln Labs in Lexington, AVCO, and Textron. John was an avid sports fan. He enjoyed playing golf and softball. He was a baseball fan and followed the Red Sox. He enjoyed gardening and took pride in his tomato plants. John took great pleasure in spending time with his grandchildren whether it be attending one of their sporting events or just a family visit. John is the beloved husband of Phyllis (Thistle). He is the loving father of Kathleen & her husband Gregory D’Amore of Charlton, John A. Marshall, Jr. & his wife Leathann of Anthem, AZ, Gregory Marshall & his wife Faviola of Scottsdale, AZ, and Kristen & her husband Oscar Flores of Winchester. He is the son of the late John W. & Angelina Marshall. He is the brother of the late Barbara Bauer & her husband Edward. He is grandfather of Danielle, Patrick, Eric, Nicole, Gregory Jr., Jillian, Justin, Jada & Jakob. He is the brother in-law of Kenneth Thistle & his wife Joyce of Brockton. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington (Exit 34 off Rt.128, Woburn side) on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Malachy’s Church, 99 Bedford St., Burlington at 9 a.m. Visiting hours Friday 4-8 p.m. Interment in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington. Memorials in John’s name may be made to Hospice Care, Inc., 100 Sylvan Rd., Woburn, MA 01801. John's Eulogy Thank you for coming, friends, family and clergy. I believe that if our father was standing here today, he would want to reassure all of us that the world will go on as usual, in fact, all is well. My father came from humble beginnings growing up in the inner city. From a very young age slinging papers for pennies in the streets of Chelsea, he came to have a great respect and a great work ethic. My grandmother called him “Jackie” and all us here that remember can still hear her voice to this day. She was a strict mother and was molding my dad for the later years. Moving on to his teen years my father was very talented a 2 two things. Baseball and Drafting. He dreamed of playing for the Red Sox along side of Ted Williams. Both crafts taught my father more discipline and dedication to what he loved to do. By the age of 16, my father met mother. Through the rest of High School they were sweethearts. He said to her in High School “that he knew the first time they met that this was the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with”. They both graduated and were married 2 years later. Well, my parents moved to the country, which Burlington was called in those days. Little did they know that the next 45 yrs would be spent on Pathwood Ave.? My father was all about family. First my sister Kathy, myself, Greg and Kristen. We were all different in our likes and dislikes through our childhood ups and downs, but my father always supported us. I can speak for my brother and sisters in saying we had a great and memorable childhood. My parents were laying the foundation for the people we are today. One memory that we all have is one snowy day, watching the Bruins in a snowstorm and my dad climbed on the roof trying to adjust the antenna. He ended up falling off the roof into a big snow bank. My sister ran out of the house thinking my dad was hurt and I remember him saying “How the picture?” We all grew up and started our own families and my dad was a proud grandfather. Nine grandchildren who he was very proud of. Danielle, Patrick, Eric, Nicole, Greg Jr, Jillian, Justin, Jada and Jake. We always knew where to find my dad when at home. He was in either the yard or in the garage crafting something for the house. He loved plants, the grass, the trees, and the fresh air of his yard. Much to the chagrin of my mother, he would go out in his best clothes and work in the mud and dirt in the yard. He had a bit of a chef in him. Out of the blue he’d whip up something that would knock our socks off. Too much garlic we would say, his reply would be “good for the soul”. My father was always a great thinker and a dispenser of great advice. An answer to a question may come in the form of a riddle of in a way that would make us think of the answer. The theosophical part of my dad is what was enjoyable. Arguing politics or when the Red Sox would win the World Series. It was a great joy for him to see that in his lifetime. My parents recently celebrated their 50th anniversary. This was very special to my Mom and Dad as it was to my brother and sisters. All the good friends that they had throughout their lives and the extended family were there to enjoy the day. This is an achievement that we all hope to equal. Through it all, my Mom was the rock that stood by my father as an equal partner. The last words my father said to my mother was written and said “I’ve always loved you”. The legacy my father has left us is one of family and work ethic. He would say to us, “be a good person, be honest and always take care of your family.”