McGrath, of Brockton, January 22, 2004, William P. McGrath 85 years. Husband of the late Rosamond M. (Keefe) McGrath. Father of Margaret J. McGrath, Ann M. McGrath, John P. McGrath and his wife Maryann, Patricia J. Michaud and her husband Henry, Joan E. Abel and her husband David and the late Kathleen McGrath. Grandfather of Brandon and Brianna Abel and William and Joseph Michaud.
Funeral from the J. Frank Conley Funeral Home, 138 Belmont Street, (Rte 123) Brockton Tuesday at 8am. The 9am Catholic Funeral Mass will be celebrated by the Rev. Richard C. Conway of St. Margaret Parish in the First Evangelical Lutheran Church, 900 Main St., Brockton. Burial in Calvary Cemetery. Visiting hours Monday 4-8pm.
Obituary Information
Mr. McGrath died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Boston, after a brief illness. He was born and raised in Brockton, son of the late John and Annie (Prendergast) McGrath. He had been a lifelong resident of Brockton, graduate of Brockton High School, class of 1936, graduate of Boston College, class of 1943 and received his Masters Degree in Education from Bridgewater State College in 1966.
During WWII he served as a First Lieutenant aboard the USS LST 741 in the South Pacific participating in the invasions of Morotai Island as well as Leyte, Mindoro and Lingayen Gulf, Luzon in the Philippine Islands.
He had been employed by the Division of Employment Security, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and the Department of Mental Health retiring in 1980 a total of 34 years in state service. He also was employed in the evening division of the Brockton School System as a language teacher for foreign born persons to prepare them for citizenship.
He had been a lifelong communicant of St. Margaret Church where he co-chaired the church’s 75th Anniversary and was Treasurer of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He was a member of the Seville Council, #93 Knights of Columbus, VFW Post 1046 and American Legion Post 35, he was also a member of the National and Massachusetts chapters of the USS LST Association. He was a treasurer of Sun House Trust and board member of Old Colony Elderly Services for many years.
He enjoyed gardening, golf, traveling and the Boston Pops Orchestra especially when Arthur Fiedler conducted.
He is survived by one son John P. McGrath of Coconut Creek, FL, four daughters Margaret J. McGrath of Brockton, Ann M. McGrath of Brockton, Patricia J. Michaud of Carver and Joan E. Abel of Manomet and four grandchildren Brandon and Brianna Abel and William and Joseph Michaud.
He was the husband of the late Rosamond M. (Keefe) McGrath, father of the late Kathleen McGrath and brother of the late John E. McGrath