LOWELL-Maynard C. Houston, 79, a lifelong Lowell resident, died Friday, February 16th at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, after a brief illness. He was the beloved husband of Rita (Gonsalves) Houston with whom he was married for 54 years.
Born in Lowell to the late George Ernest and the late Annette (Geoffroy) Houston, he attended Ste. Jeanne d'Arc School and Lowell High School. He excelled in sports, and was best known throughout the city as an outstanding baseball player. He and his twin brother, Kenneth, were recruited for tryouts with the Boston Braves. But, shortly after when World War II began, Mr. Houston joined the United States Navy to serve his country from 1945 to 1947. He played minor league baseball in the greater Lowell area after the war.
Mr. Houston worked for 30 years with the City of Lowell's Land and Buildings Department. He was a member of the Retired State, County & Municipal Employees Association and the Lowell Lodge of Elks. He enjoyed traveling, naval war history, reading, and the Boston Red Sox. He was a parishioner of the former Ste. Jeanne d'Arc Church.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Karen (Houston) Kennedy and her husband David, of Marblehead, and Kathleen (Houston) Blackwell and her husband James of Needham; two grandchildren, Lauren Berardino, of Marblehead, and Adam Blackwell, of Needham; two sisters, Theresa J. "Jackie" (Houston) Rashid of Lawrence and Paulette (Houston) Moore and her husband Robert of CA; two brothers, Paul Houston and his wife Jeanne of FL, Maurice Houston and his wife Deborah, of NH, and four step grandchildren, Eileen, Daniel, Michael, and Matthew Kennedy, of Marblehead; brother-in-laws and sister-in-laws, John and Sandra Gonsalves of Chelmsford, Isabelle Gonsalves of Chelmsford, Theresa (Gonsalves) Flynn of Worcester and Teresa Houston of CA; 22 nieces and nephews, 32 grand nieces and grand nephews, and 1 great nephew.
He is the brother of the late Kenneth Houston, of NH, the late Bernard Houston of CA and the late Marie Houston of Lowell. He is the brother-in-law of the late Joseph Rashid of Lawrence, the late Gabrielle Gonsalves of Chelmsford, and the late Santi and Mary Angela (Gonsalves) Misitano of Chelmsford.
Friends may call at the DRACUT FUNERAL HOME, 2159 Lakeview Avenue, DRACUT on Monday from 3:00 until 7:00 p.m. His funeral will be held from the funeral home on Tuesday at 9:00 AM, followed by his Funeral Mass at 10 AM, in St. Anthony Church in Lowell. Prayer service and interment at Ste. Joseph Cemetery in Chelmsford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society, 30 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701 or the Ste. Jeanne d'Arc School Memorial Fund, 68 Dracut Street, Lowell, MA 01854.