Wilson “Joe” MacFarlane, age 85, of Weymouth passed away Monday, December 28, 2020. Joe was born and raised in New Jersey, and joined the Navy after high school where he served for over 21 years as a boiler engineer on Navy destroyers, including the USS Ogden and USS English. Joe retired from the Navy in 1974 as a Chief Petty Officer and worked for over 20 years in the insurance industry, most recently for Commercial Union in Boston as a director of boiler machinery loss control.
Joe married his wife of 61 years, Shirley, who is also a Navy veteran, in 1959. They raised their family in Maplewood, NJ, and moved back to Weymouth in 1987, where they previously lived while serving in the Navy. Joe was an active member in the community, volunteering for Weymouth Meals on Wheels for over 10 years, participating in the Weymouth Art Association, and serving as Head Usher at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Hanover MA.
Joe is survived by his beloved wife Shirley MacFarlane (Golby) of Weymouth, his sons Harvey MacFarlane of PA and Robert MacFarlane and his wife Irma of NJ, his grandchildren Amanda, Ashley, Brittany, Katelyn, and Katherine, and many great-grandchildren.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to the Funeral Service for Joe on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 10:30am in the Lutheran Church of the Cross located at 77 Rockland St. Hanover, MA 02339. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the church for the new front entrance project. Please contact the church if you plan to attend the funeral service at [email protected] or 781-826-5121. Burial with Military Honors will immediately follow in the Massachusetts National Cemetery, Connery Avenue, Bourne, MA. Funeral arrangements for Joe are in the care of C. C. Shepherd Funeral Home located in Weymouth. Please visit www.CCShepherd.com to leave a message for the family.