Thomas J. Quirk Jr., 82, died July 1, 2007 at Courtyard Nursing Care Center in Medford, MA after a period of declining health. He had lived since the winter of 2006 at The Gables at Winchester, MA.
He was born in Manchester, NH on October 11, 1924, the son of Thomas J. and Elizabeth (Silva) Quirk. He was educated in the Manchester school system and graduated from Manchester High School Central in 1941. He earned his bachelor's degree from St. Anselm College in 1948 and his master’s degree in Classics from Boston College in 1954.
Mr. Quirk taught Latin at Middlesex School in Concord, MA from 1948 to 1969, where he also served as head of the Latin Department. While at Middlesex School he also was the head baseball and basketball coach. In 1969, Mr. Quirk began work as a Latin teacher and head baseball coach at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH. He was then College Advisor for St. Paul’s from 1970 to 1974 when he assumed the role of Director of Admissions. He retired in 1990 after serving twelve years as Assistant Headmaster/Vice Rector for Students and Faculty.
He was a member of the American Classical League and the Classical Association of New England. Many summers were spent teaching Latin and Mathematics at Phillips Exeter and Phillips Academy Andover. For two summers, he also served as Director of summer sessions at the Hinckley School.
After retirement, he and his wife moved to Kennebunk, ME. He was predeceased by his wife Dorothy (Sullivan) Quirk in 2004.
Members of his family include one daughter, Lindsey Quirk and her husband Eric Henrikson of Winchester, MA; two sons, Thomas J. Quirk III and his wife Elizabeth Quirk of Las Cruces, NM, and Brian T. Quirk of Billerica, MA; four grandchildren, Thomas J. Quirk IV, Meghan Quirk, Matthew Polianites, and Conor Polianites; one brother, Robert E. Quirk of New Jersey.
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated at St. Joseph Cathedral, corner of Pine and Lowell St, Manchester, on Thursday July 5, 2007. Burial followed in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bedford, NH.