James Charles Dacey, 82, eased from life on Tuesday, August 11, 2020, with his daughter and son by his side. He went in peace and with dignity to join his much beloved wife of 48 years, Judith (McGuiness) Dacey, who predeceased him in March of 2019. He leaves in love his daughter, Moira C. (Dacey) Coakley and the son in law he loved as his own, Timothy, both of Worcester; his beloved son, Sean F. Dacey and his partner, Leanne Ahronian, also of Worcester; five surviving siblings: Mary Bowes of Marshfield, MA; Dennis Dacey and his wife Mary of Bradenton, FL; Catherine Perkins and her husband Russell of Bear Creek, NC; Ann Dacey and her husband Anders Lennerhag of Morgantown, WV and of Sweden; and Richard Dacey of Goldston, NC. Jim was predeceased by his sister Louise Dacey of Milton, MA in 1942, and by his brother Stephen Dacey of Dedham, MA in 2005. Jim also leaves with heartfelt love his sister in law Jane Dacey of Dedham; and his dearly loved brother in law James McGuiness and his wife Tammy of Worcester; and all of the nieces, nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and “adopted” children and their families whom he loved so deeply.
Jim was born in Boston, MA in 1938 to his much missed parents, James “Charlie” Dacey and Louise (Courtney) Dacey, the oldest surviving of eight children. He attended the Tucker School and Milton Junior High in Milton, MA, before attending and graduating from Boston College High School in Dorchester in 1955. After graduation, he received a full academic scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, where he studied physics until enlisting in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in 1958. Jim served his country as an artillery and intelligence operations specialist for the elite 101st Parachute Infantry, 1st Battle Group, based in Germany until 1960 when he was granted honorable discharge.
Upon leaving the service, Jim enrolled at Boston College as a math major, graduating summa cum laude in 1962, and earning his masters degree there in 1963. He then began the journey of pursuing his doctorate in mathematics, having discovered what would be his lifelong joy in the field. Jim, following in the footsteps of his acclaimed mentor David Foulis, attended and taught at Boston College Graduate School (1962-1963), University of Florida (1963-1965), and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (1966-1968), receiving his doctorate in mathematics and a second and third degree in physics and philosophy from UMass in 1968. His doctoral dissertation on orthomodular spaces received international acclaim, and became the foundation of groundbreaking work in the fields of both mathematics and physics. Jim also taught at Kansas State University and Assumption College in Worcester.
Jim’s years in Florida had a profound impact on his life. He became very involved in the civil rights movement, joining Dr. King in the march from Selma to Montgomery, where met and became friends with U.S. Representative John Lewis. In 1968, he joined John in Resurrection City in Washington, DC, to protest the treatment of black tenant farmers at the Agriculture Department, living in Resurrection City until police tore the protest community down. Jim’s belief in equality for all led to many arrests for civil disobedience over the years, and he brought this activism back with him when he returned to Worcester in 1968. He, along with friends, began what would be the start of the Worcester Tenants Association with the forming of the Piedmont Neighborhood Association. He began working for Model Cities, a community action group dedicated to improving the quality of life for underserved people of color, beginning a free lunch program for students in the Worcester Public Schools, a program that exists to this day and that so many rely on.
Jim’s return to Worcester and community work led him to meet the love of his life, his Jude, whom he married in 1972. Settling down to begin a family, Jim began teaching mathematics and the sciences for the Worcester Public Schools, where he taught for 42 years at Harrington Way Junior High, Sullivan Middle, and Doherty High School. Teaching was Jim’s true vocation, and his legendary teaching style and approach to learning earned him the respect and love of generations of Worcester students and fellow educators, all of whom he invariably remembered with uncanny accuracy.
Jim’s love of teaching also led him to Ted Willians Little League, where he passed on his love of baseball, volunteering there as a coach for 32 years. He became a surrogate father and mentor for many in the community in his years there, teaching through his love of the national pastime that dedication, hard work, and intelligence could open paths not normally thought possible. He also enjoyed fast pitch softball, playing and pitching for the Roberto Clemente League for many years in Great Brook Valley.
Jim faced his incurable cancer diagnosis of multiple myeloma in 2016 with typical stoicism. “I’m not going to fight cancer; I’m going to learn to live with it.” And he did, teaching us that wisdom, patience, and a powerful will and strength of mind can accomplish wonders. His family would like to thank Dr. David Shepro, Dr. Walter Goljan, and the staff at the St. Vincent’s Wellness Center and Webster Square Medical Center for the care, love, and support they gave Jim and his family throughout many years of chemotherapy. He considered you friends, and we thank you.
Jim at heart was a teacher. He taught his children the classics, reading them Dickens, Tolkien, and Shakespeare at very young ages. He gave them an appreciation of the arts and classical music, and passed on his love and extensive knowledge of nature to them. He taught them how to count in German, the alphabet in Greek, how to order food in French. He taught them how to tell time from the sun or stars, the names of the constellations, and showed them how to sail. He taught them to always stand up for others, even at great personal risk. He passed on to them their Irish culture through history and music and language. He loved a well poured pint of the “black stuff,” swimming out into the ocean as far as he could, and watching the sun creep up over the waves. He was rarely without a good book to read, and he would spend hours lying on the couch thinking, always working on new mathematical proofs and theorems. He loved cribbage and chess, and arguing with Alex Trabek over Jeopardy. He trusted us to make our own mistakes and to learn from them, just as he had, and told us we could do anything we set our minds to, just as he had. He taught us to always be curious, and to always ask “why.” He made the best homemade Boston baked beans, and could recite poetry from memory at the drop of a hat. He walked everywhere, and would go on bicycle rides as far as Rhode Island. He knew something about everything, and spent many hours making new friends by sitting on park benches and being willing and open to those from all walks of life.
In the words of Dickens, there is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart, and Jim always embodied both. His was a life well and truly lived. Our lives are forever poorer for no longer having him here with us, but forever richer for having known and loved him and been loved in return. He will be missed, always, and there will forever exist a hole that cannot be filled, but the world is a far better place for having had him in it. We love you, and take comfort in the lyrics of Eric Bogle, whom you considered one of the best modern day poets: “And now I’m easy.”
Jim’s funeral will be Saturday, August 15th from O’CONNOR BROTHERS FUNERAL HOME, 592 Park Avenue with a Mass celebrating his life at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Church, 40 Temple Street, the parish he loved so well. Socially distant calling hours are Friday, August 14th from 5:00 until 8:00 PM in the funeral home. Burial will be private and at the convenience of Jim’s family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jim’s name to The Mustard Seed Catholic Worker, 93 Piedmont Street, Worcester, MA 01609, a community charity group he donated to and volunteered with for many years. Due to COVID-19, his family must delay a true Irish sendoff following his funeral Mass, but invite those who loved him to contact his children through social media for updates on when we will celebrate his life with joy, music, and pints.