GILHOOLY, Joseph R. of Needham, formerly of Dover and Wellesley, December 26, 2013. Loving father of Stephen J. Gilhooly and his wife Lisa of Milton and Linda G. Quirk and her husband Brian of West Hartford, Ct. and devoted grandfather of Terry, Kimberly, Brian and Duncan. Survived by his former wives Jeanette Bustos Gilhooly of Dover and Diane Wheaton Walker of West Hartford, Ct. Predeceased by his sisters Ann Folbrecht and Jean Rizzi and survived by their children Fr. Robert Folbrecht, Ann Lobosky, William Rizzi and Carol Ellingwood.
Born December 3, 1921 in Newark, NJ he graduated in 1939 from East Orange High School. He began his working life with CS Trench & Co, a metals brokerage firm in New York City and attended Pace Institute at night studying accounting. He joined the United States Coast Guard in August 1942 and was initially assigned to patrol duty in Point Pleasant, NJ. In 1943 he was assigned to the USS Aquarius, AKA 16, which saw action in the Pacific Theater and was involved in 13 invasions. He was awarded 8 battle stars during his service and achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer. In the fall of 1945 he enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and in 1948 he earned a degree in Economics. He began his professional career with Scovell, Wellington & Co. in New York City and became a CPA. In 1956 he joined the treasury group of Revere Copper & Brass and its joint venture, ORMET Corp, in Ohio. In 1963 he returned to public accounting and joined Arthur Young & Company in Boston as a partner and led the tax practice until his retirement from the firm in 1980. Shortly thereafter he was appointed Treasurer of the Town of Wellesley, which he served until 1986. Not resting, he became a financial advisor to a major international insurance brokerage firm and provided financial planning and advisory services to local family owned businesses through 2002. He was very active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors of Marietta Country Club, Marietta Memorial Hospital, American Institute of Management Accountants, Algonquin Club, Penn Alumni Club of Boston and Wellesley Country Club. He was president of the Mass Society of CPAs. He served the Town of Wellesley as Chairman of the Advisory Committee, overseeing the financial and budget matters of the town and was a member of the Finance Committee of the Parish of St Paul’s. Forever appreciative of his education at Penn, he served on the Advisory Board of the General Alumni Society, interviewed and counseled students and helped endow the Arthur Young Professorship of Accounting and the Gilhooly Family Scholarship. For his service he was awarded the Alumni Award of Merit in 1975. He enjoyed Jazz and a little soft shoe and was an avid golf and tennis player.
Funeral from the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., (Rt.16) WELLESLEY, Monday, Dec. 30 at 9 am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Paul’s Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley at 10 am. Interment Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne at 12:45 pm. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Visiting hours Sunday, Dec. 29 from 2-5 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Joseph’s memory to St. Paul’s Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482.