GIRVAN, Edward J. Age 88, of Roslindale, passed away on August 15, 2023. Eddy was the beloved husband of the late Patricia A. (Graney) Girvan. Devoted father of Patricia M. Girvan and her husband Kevin O’Leary of Roslindale, the late Edward “Chip” Girvan Jr. and his wife Janet of Canton, and Kim Tucker and her husband Michael of Henniker, NH. Loving “Grumpy” to Kristen, Sean and his wife Jessica, Caitlin and her husband Brian, Colleen, Patrick, Allison, and Jay. Great-grandfather to Grant, Emeline, Ethan, Matthew, Brett, and Charlotte. Eddy is also survived by his sister Dorothy and her husband Joseph Feeley of Dedham and his sister-in-law Pauline Ternan of Walpole and many nieces and nephews.
Eddy was born in the house in which he would live with his parents and siblings, then his wife, his children, his grandchildren, and eventually, his great-grandchildren; after 88 years of memory-making and storytelling, it also became the home in which he would pass away. As the youngest of 9 children, he was skilled at recognizing the “do’s and don'ts” of his older siblings. He took the lessons he learned from their triumphs and mistakes, applied them to his own mischief making, and, as a result, was able to enjoy many successful adventures in his youth. Eddy enjoyed being outdoors and was a dedicated scout leader. His family often hears from former scouts who are grateful for the opportunity to pass on Eddy’s love for camping, and the skills they learned from him, to their own families. Eddy was a retired member of Carpenters Local 56. He took great pride in his contributions to bridges and tunnels all over New England. Eddy had a lifelong dedication to safety. The crews that worked for him were safer for his commitment to doing the best job possible. Eddy loved his family and encouraged them all to pursue their dreams, stopping only at the point of safety. He made sure his grandchildren and great-grandchildren had access to the most reliable safety equipment for any sport they wanted to play. The only hard “no” was football, even for his son Chip. In his retirement years, Eddy was able to spend much time in his Roslindale garden. Eddy was an avid gardener, with a particular talent for producing prolific amounts of tomatoes. Eddy also devoted his time to supporting his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their many extracurricular activities and also just hanging around the home with them. The family he built is grateful to have been able to hear stories about his childhood that took place in the very rooms in which they sat to listen to his tales.
Visiting hours at the William J. Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., West Roxbury on Monday, August 21st from 4-7 pm. Funeral from the funeral home on Tuesday, August 22nd at 9 am followed by a Funeral Mass in Sacred Heart Church at 10 o’clock. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Interment St. Joseph Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Eddy’s memory to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation at www.themmrf.org. For directions and guestbook gormleyfuneral.com.