Frank J. Galvin, 89, loving and devoted family man, lifelong teacher and baseball aficionado, died peacefully at his home on March 31. Frank, a West Roxbury resident, was the much beloved husband of Fran (Baxter) Galvin, to whom he was married for 62 glorious years. He will always continue to be a larger-than-life role model for his six children and their spouses: Mary Scardino and her husband Jim of Wellesley; Frank Jr. and his wife Lynn of West Roxbury; Kathleen Fleming and her husband Rob of Concord; Joseph and his wife Maureen of West Roxbury; Theresa Driscoll and her husband Bill of West Roxbury; and Clare Karos and her husband Jim of Roslindale. Frank was Papa to his 18 adoring grandchildren: Frank, Molly, Lauren, Brian, Alex, Katie, Hannah, Sam, Elizabeth, Christina, Julia, Will, Mikayla, Brendan, Owen, Gabriel, Grace, Mac and honorary grandchild JJ. He delighted as he watched his family continue to grow through marriage, welcoming Campbell, Josh, Jen and Kellen, and excitedly awaiting the birth of his first great-grandchild.
Frank was a true Bostonian and had the best Boston accent. He was born in 1928 to Theodore and Catherine (Duggan) Galvin, and was raised in Jamaica Plain. He was the brother of the late John Galvin, Gerry Conroy of Arcadia, CA, and Maureen Andrews and her husband Bob of San Diego. Frank was a graduate of Boston English High School (1945), Holy Cross College (B.A., 1949) and earned degrees from Boston College (M.Ed.) and Staley College (Ed.D.). He was a US Navy veteran, serving on USS Beltrami (AK-162), 1952-53. Frank, known by many as Lefty, spent his formative years with a baseball mitt and bat in his hands. He played first base for Blessed Sacrament where he was mentored by the late Bishop Joseph Maguire and the legendary Hugh Duffy, who helped him earn a baseball scholarship to Holy Cross.
The highlight of Frank’s life was meeting his wife, the former Frannie Baxter, also of JP. Frannie spotted Lefty on the baseball field and the rest is history. Frank was born to teach. He worked as a teacher and administrator in the Boston Public Schools for 48 years, from the Prince School on Newbury Street to the Longfellow School in Roslindale. Frank headed the Information Center/Planning and Implementation during the early years of busing, and then worked as assistant principal at the Ohrenberger School in West Roxbury, from which he retired in 1997. Frank was an active member of Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury for 56 years, and a longtime member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Frank was an avid reader and gardener and, above all, was a man of strong faith who thanked God daily for his many blessings. In addition to his immediate family, Frank leaves cherished nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and many friends. Special thanks to the compassionate doctors and nurses at Brigham and Women’s, especially Dr. Niraj Sharma, and for Good Shepherd Community Care and Molly and Josh, who made it possible for us to care for Papa at home.
Funeral from the Robert J. Lawler and Crosby Funeral Home, 1803 Centre St., West Roxbury, on Wednesday, April 5, at 9:00 am. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Holy Name Church at 10:00 am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visitation in the funeral home on Tuesday, April 4, from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at Holy Name Church. www.lawlerfuneralhome.com
Lawler and Crosby Funeral Home
617-323-5600