Garry F. Conrad, of Haverhill, formerly of Saugus and Malden, July 15th. Beloved husband of the late Janice (O'Keefe) Conrad. Father of Eric Conrad and his girlfriend Kellie Hickey of Haverhill, Jannise Seery and her husband Michael of Croston, MD and the late Garry Conrad. Grandfather of Emeline and Michael Seery. Brother of Nancy Lambert of Mansfield, Priscilla Hutchinson of Taunton and the late Glen Conrad. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
He met Janice working at Stop and Shop, a job he would proudly retire from 56 years later. A union advocate and member of the UFCW, and was honored to be Shop Steward whenever asked. Garry spent many weekends and weeks serving in the US Army Reserve as a medic until he finally retired in 2005 after 25+ years of military service. As a member of the Wakefield Knights of Columbus; it was always worth the drive for Friday night friends and bowling. Garry spent many years in the 1980s coaching Saugus soccer and cherished the lifelong friendships from those days.
Although taken too soon, Garry passed away as he would have wanted; he lived every day of his life. Garry was always up for the next adventure, touring in the Magical Mystery Tour RV, a coastal Maine drive, riding the rails, or another impromptu Maryland trip. He treasured his time with family the most and was honored to serve at Janice’s side until she lost her battle with cancer in 2017. When Garry, Eric and Jannise were young he got involved, coached many soccer teams, climbed Mt. Washington and even played roadie for Garry’s band. More recently, he loved his weekly Sunday breakfast with Eric, no doubt he now orders a cheesy egg and bacon omelet with lots of buttered toast. He even loved the chaos of Maryland, and was always glad to leave to the quiet of home. Emeline captured Papa’s heart with her writing, endless reading and thirst for knowledge. Michael’s best day was spent talking baseball with Papa, #20 was Papa’s favorite player. He never missed an inning or a hit, and you know Papa was “paying for hits.” He will be sorely missed at holidays; we hope he’ll always be able to “smell the Love” of dinner. He looked forward to reconnecting with old and new friends every winter in Fort Myers. Best of all, he loved to host friends and family for a visit, and kept those Red Sox spring training seats because you just never know who might come. On quiet days, he would make the yard sale rounds, oh the deals he made! Garry was best known for his loyalty and kindness which knew no limits. He cared for and loved his family and friends beyond words. Helping others and keeping in touch with friends with either a call to say “hi” or sharing lunch and coffee was so very important to him. To know Garry was to know his relentless corny jokes, terrible dancing and his love for storytelling to connect with everyone he met. To remember Garry is to imprint that smile and laugh, recall it often and share it with anyone who could use it.
Relatives & friends are invited to attend services for Garry at the Breslin Funeral Home, 610 Pleasant St., Malden on Monday July 29th at 10 AM. Services will conclude with interment in Puritan Lawn Memorial Park in Peabody. Visiting hours will be held at the funeral home on Sunday July 28th from 2-6 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Red Cross.