Devoted and adored family man, WWII infantryman, CPA, 60 year Wellesley leader and volunteer, and a true gentleman of deep faith.
Bob Hinchliffe died July 3, 2018 at the age of 95. At his side was his daughter Beth, who was blessed to live her life guided by his honorable and pure moral North Star. He was predeceased by his wives Dorothy (McGlauflin) and Jeanne (Vogel) McMahan, and had been the utterly dedicated caregiver to both during their lengthy final illnesses.
Born in New Britain CT, after his junior year as a ROTC cadet at Boston University (where he was later installed in the Alumni Hall of Fame), Bob entered WWII. As an Army 1st lieutenant and combat infantryman he fought from the beaches of Normandy through Hurtgen Forest, the battle of the bridge at Remagen, the Ardennes, and the Battle of the Bulge (where he was awarded the Bronze Star).
At the end of the war he was stationed in Berlin where he was Aide-de-Camp to the Commanding General of Troops. Last year Congressman Joe Kennedy interviewed him about his WWII experiences, entering the videotape in the Library of Congress (to see it, at YouTube.com search Hinchliffe Kennedy).
Since his days as an altar boy, Bob's church was his great strength, and he was active in St. James and then St. Paul, where a plaque on the lectern acknowledges his decades of varied volunteer work (including designing and installing its computer system) and his 20 years post-retirement as the daily altar server. In recent years he watched the daily Mass on CatholicTV, and was blessed with a birthday visit from its president, Bishop Robert Reed.
Bob loved Wellesley and Wellesley loved him, choosing him to lead the parade twice, as the recipient of the Distinguished Service and the Veterans' Honor awards. He was one of the half dozen longest serving Town Meeting Members in town history; longtime treasurer of the library's Centennial Fund (when he retired they established the Robert J. Hinchliffe Military History Fund in his honor); President of Wellesley Rotary, the Central Council PTO, and Toastmasters; a board member of the Community Center and the Wellesley Country Club; a SHINE volunteer for the elderly; and, since he moved to town in 1952, a member of many town government boards and committees.
Bob was a steadfast fan of the Patriots since they were founded, and was thrilled when Hall of Famer Steve Nelson gave him a custom made team jersey with his name and #95 on his 95th birthday. He played golf until he was 90, delighting in his hole-in-one; and enjoyed 65 years at the Wellesley Country Club, which recently made him an Honorary Member. At 95 he won his third neighborhood fantasy football league. He had a sharp business mind, and excelled in his career as a Certified Public Accountant for the New England Telephone Company. But his great love was simple time spent with his family.
In addition to his daughter Beth, he is survived by stepchildren Stephen (Janet) McMahan, Beth (the late James) Nagle, Judy (David) Elliott, Carol Sands, and Peter (Elizabeth) McMahan; 13 stepgrandchildren and 3 (soon to be 4) greatgrandchildren; his sister-in-law Emily Hinchliffe; special and cherished nieces and nephews with whom he was especially close and whose lives he shared; and the extended Boulder Brook neighborhood family of children, dogs, and friends, who will miss Mr. Bob. He was predeceased by his wives Dorothy and Jeanne, his parents Thomas and Mary (Kehoe), and his siblings Ritamae McCusker, Thomas, Joseph, and Dorothy Lipton.
Visiting hours at the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St., (Rt. 16) Wellesley, Friday, July 6 from 4-7 p.m. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Paul, 502 Washington St., Wellesley on Saturday, July 7 at 12 noon. Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley.
He would have been touched by donations in tribute to his life, made to: Robert J. Hinchliffe Military History Fund, Wellesley Library, 530 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482; or St. Paul Church, 502 Washington St, Wellesley, MA 02482.