Gill, Joseph F. of North Hill, Needham, formerly of Wellesley and Charlestown, MA, passed away peacefully on September 24, 2018. Age 83. Survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Mary M. (Siracusa), his 3 sons Stephen and his wife Erin, Joseph and his wife Theresa, and Richard and his wife Alison. Proud grandfather of Christine, Alyssa, Audrianna, and Ava. Also survived by his sisters Nancy Kearney and Joanne O'Rourke and many loving nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Joseph A. Gill and Mary (Nelson) and his sister Mary Flanagan.
Born and raised in Charlestown, he was fiercely proud of his "Townie" roots. 33 year member and benefactor to the Old Charlestown Schoolboys Association. He served his country honorably in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict from 1952-1955.
In 1955, he began what was to become a lifetime career in the automobile business on the "grease rack" at Smyly Buick in Malden, MA. Mr. Gill attended General Motors Institute where he received a degree in Automotive Management . He went on to found his own business in 1966 and remained President of Brigham-Gill in Natick, MA at the time of his death. He served as President of the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association in the late 1970's and was honored by Time Magazine in 1979 as a Time Magazine Quality Dealer.
He delighted in travelling the world with his beloved Mary and they danced their way through Europe together for over 3 decades. An avid golfer, he was a longtime member of the Wellesley Country Club and the Palm Beach Polo Club in Wellington, FL and a huge supporter of the Ouimet Caddy Scholarship Program. Fall and winter weekends were often spent watching college and professional football with his ever present note pad which he used to keep track of his "investments" on the games.
His life was characterized by a deep love and fierce loyalty to his wife, his family, his friends and his employees.
Funeral from the George F. Doherty & Sons Funeral Home, 477 Washington St. (Rt.16) Wellesley, on Friday, September 28, 2018 at 9am followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Paul Church, 502 Washington St., Wellesley at 10am. Relatives and friends kindly invited. Visiting hours on Thursday, September 27, from 3-8pm in the funeral home. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wellesley. In lieu of flowers, donations in Joseph's memory may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142 or Make-A-Wish Foundation, 1 Bullfinch PL., Boston, MA 02114.