NORTHBOROUGH

John Timothy Grady, a longtime resident of Northborough and beloved teacher of Social Studies in the Westborough secondary schools, passed away on Tuesday, November 15, 2022; he was 84 years old. John is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Gwendolyn M. (Smith) Grady; his three children, Christopher Grady and his wife Linda of San Francisco, CA, Stephanie Kelley of Westborough, and Judith Harding of Shrewsbury; eight grandchildren Erin Grady, Sean Grady and his wife Anastasia, Kory Kelley, Shayla Kelley, Jessica Dmohowski and her partner Jason McNelly, Derek Antilla, Danielle Grady and Rory Grady and 13 great-grandchildren, of which he was proud.

Born in Woonsocket, RI and raised in Whitinsville, John was the only child to the late John and Elizabeth (Bebe) Grady. He was a graduate of Northbridge H.S. and earned both his BS and Master's in History from Worcester State College. John loved being an educator and adored his students who in turn, had great respect for him. For the first six years of his tenor John taught in the Upton elementary and middle schools. He then transferred to Westborough where he would continue teaching until his retirement in 2001.

During his free time John enjoyed golfing at many of the local courses in the area. He had a passion of and the skill for woodworking. Over the years John crafted beautiful examples of early American and Shaker furniture which he was very proud of. He looked forward to being with his family. They will miss his sense of humor, teasing and jokes.

Following John's wishes, all services are private, for his family only. In remembrance of John, please consider supporting a local youth center or charity of your choice.

Arrangements have been under the care of Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main Street, Northborough. To leave a condolence online please visit www.HaysFuneralHome.com.

A reflection from John's son, Christopher.

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.

Dad grew up poor in a cold water flat in a small New England mill town. His family didn't have indoor plumbing until he was in high school. Dad was an only child and always remembered being lonely as a kid. His parents ran and eventually bought a railroad car diner. He was bussing tables by first or second grade. In spite of how well my mother cooked, Dad always retained a love for simple American cuisine and comfort food.

He developed a strong work ethic early. As hard a life as it was Dad reminisced and even romanticized this time. I think it was his fascination with everything that was going on in the world at the time. The Depression had just ended and World War 2 had everyone making sacrifices so everyone was poor. This was fine with Dad.

As a youth painting my Grammy's house the garbage man came running into the yard exclaiming that I must be Timmy Grady's son because I looked just like him. It was my Dad's best friend from childhood. I told him to stick around because "Timmy" as he was called as a kid, would be right back. Dad returned from purchasing a pouch of pipe tobacco and this friend lifted him 2 feet off the lawn. He reminisced of hyjinx endlessly embarrassing "Timmy". His pre adolescent son heard of all the pranks and adventures that entertained a child of my age a generation before. My favorite story was the two of them sneaking over to the Table Talk pie company and stealing the cooling pies from the window sills.

In his 41 years of teaching Dad involved himself in a number hobbies that ranged from photography to furniture building, golf and genealogy. He was always reading, especially history. Dad loved modern history. He involved us kids early delivering political campaign brochures for Robert Kennedy all over town. My Dad was a loyal Democrat but always considered himself a Socialist. Politics was always part of the conversation at the house.

No one has ever described Dad as graceful. But after taking dancing lessons he reveled in gliding across the floor insuring a celebrity appearance. I preferred coming home late after school to catch him doing the twist and belting out "Good Golly Miss Molly" so the neighbors up the street could hear.

Talk of baseball and football were always welcome with Dad. He rarely initiated the conversation but always loved to engage when someone spoke about the Patriots or the Red Sox. And Dad didn't do it often but enjoyed nothing more than a sunny afternoon at Fenway.

He spent his entire life teaching from 21 - 62. An early retirement agreed with Dad. He was already a Grandpa and this became his deepest passion in retirement. Dad left behind 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. His home was open to all and the house was always full. He and Mom became operators of a family daycare taking care of two generations of the youngest Gradys.

Dad's sense of humor became much more prevalent once he retired. He would grow antennas that looked a lot like index fingers and started beeping as he approached an ice cream store. If Mom passed it by he would remark on the failure of her sensors. He loved puns and could be heard during a chorus of Happy Birthday singing "Hippo Birdie Two Ewes". Life was rarely very serious after retiring.

In recent years Dad became a master at the Irish goodbye and I believe he created the Irish hello. As conversation wore him out Dad quietly disappeared to enjoy a nap. And conversely after his nap he would quietly slip into a chair without a word and magically become a part of the conversation as if he had always been there.

His absence will be felt but never fully realized because of all the parts of himself he left behind. From the black and white photos on the walls, the pine furniture in every room to the timid smile and oversized noses that cross generations of the family Grandpa will remain a part of our lives and always in our hearts.

I will miss his generous hug at the start of each of my visits and the gentle wave goodbye and soft smile as I head up Warren Drive off to the airport. But his presence will always be felt.

Christopher Grady