Philip W. Jefferson, Jr., 87, passed away on December 17, 2010 at Beverly Hospital after a brief illness. He was the husband of the late Anne L. (McKeon) Jefferson with whom he shared 57 years of marriage.
Born in Marlboro, MA on June 24, 1923, he was the son of the late Philip W., Sr. and Grace (McCarthy) Jefferson. Phil had an astounding record of community service beginning during WWII. He left college at Harvard to enlist in the Army 1942. He served in the European Theatre of Operations with the 69th Infantry Division and obtained the rank of 1st Sgt. by the end of the war. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, two Bronze Stars and Two Purple Hearts.
After coming home he returned to Harvard and graduated with the class of “46”, earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics. He went to work with John Hancock in 1953 and retired in 1984 as the Vice President of Pension Investments. In 1959 Phil and his wife Anne and their three children settled in Danvers. He spent countless hours volunteering for numerous community activities, among which where the American Little League from 1963 to 1973, the Touchdown Club from 1970 to 1990, the Kiwanis Club of Danvers, as a member of the Special Olympics Committee for many years and a life long member of The Harvard Club. In 1987 he was chosen by the Danvers Community Council as it “Citizen of the Year”.
In 1979 he joined the board of trustees of Hunt Memorial Hospital in Danvers. He became the chairman of the Hunt board in 1980 a position he held until 1990. When Hunt Hospital merged with Beverly Hospital he became a member of its board of trustees. He then became chairman of the board of trustees of Marlboro Metro West Hospital in Marlboro and when it merged with the U Mass Medical Center in Worcester he joined its board of trustees and became chairman. He also was a trustee of the Massachusetts Hospital Association where he was honored as trustee of the year in 1993. Also in 1993 he received the American Hospital Associations “Grassroots Advocacy Award” in Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his three children, his daughter Ellen J. Chaisson of Swampscott and her husband George, his two sons, David M. of Acton, and Philip W. of Hamilton and his wife Susan, four grand-daughters Michelle Kotarski, Elizabeth and Christine Chaisson and Julia Jefferson, and one great grand-daughter Sophia Kotarski. He was predeceased by his sister Margaret Downey.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday December 21st at 9am St. Mary of the Annunciation Church 24 Conant Street Danvers. Burial will follow in Wadsworth Cemetery in Danvers. Visiting hours will be on Monday December 20th from 4pm until 8pm at C. R. Lyons & Sons, Funeral Home 28 Elm Street Danvers. In lieu of flowers donations maybe made to Hospice of the North Shore 75 Sylvan St. Suite 102 B Danvers, MA 01923.