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Weir Mac Cuish Family Funeral Home 144 Salem Street, Malden, MA 02148 A member of the Malden Community since 1896 |
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John Benedict Whelan
John B. Whelan, a retired Malden Firefighter, died Sunday, September 28, 2008 at the McFadden Memorial Manor in Malden, he was 80. John was born in Stoneham, the son of the late John T. & Josephine P. Whalen on March 14, 1928. He was educated in the Malden School system. John joined the US Navy in January of 1946 and was sent to the U.S. Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, MD. John served on the USS Tarawa (Air Craft Carrier) with the Photographic Squadron One. He received the WW II Victory Medal when he was discharged in November of 1947. John reenlisted the next day and served for five more years until his discharge in November of 1952. John also served with the National Guard with Company K 182nd Infantry and obtained the rank of Private 1st Class for two years of service. During his service time with the National Guard, John married his sweetheart, Vera R. Groves in the Centre United Methodist Church in Malden on August 25, 1951. The couple spent over 54 years in marriage together until Vera’s passing on August 21, 2005. When John was finished with his service career, he returned home and found employment with the City of Malden Fire Department. He truly enjoyed working on the fire department and serving with his fellow firefighting brothers. John was very dedicated to his work and was known to take very few sick days off. He was stationed out of the Center Fire Station and when he retired, he was stationed out of the Maplewood Station. John worked for the city for twenty-five years and chose to retire when Prop 2 1/2 came along in 1982. John had enough years of service and figured that someone else could take his job instead of letting others get laid off. After he retired from firefighting, John went to work for the U.S. Post Office at the South Boston Postal Annex working as a custodian for the next ten years. He had the pleasure to work along with his son David, who also worked at the Post Office with the forklift maintenance department. In his spare time, John enjoyed spending time with his wife and his family. They spent a lot of time on his boat and at the family trailer at the Resort on the Bay Camp Ground, located on Lake Winnipesauke in Laconia, NH. This was a spot he enjoyed throughout his life and with his family for well over fifty-four years. John is survived by his sons, David J. Whelan, Sr. of Winthrop and Douglas E. Whelan of South Carolina, and his grandchildren, David J. Whelan, Jr. of South Carolina, Jason S. Whelan and Jamie L. Whelan, both of Malden, and Shannon Whelan of South Carolina. In addition to his wife and parents, John was preceded in death by his brother, David Whelan. A funeral service will be held in the Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral home, 144 Salem Street, Malden on Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 10 AM. Rev. Paul C. McPheeters, Pastor of the Forestdale Community Church will be officiating. Burial will follow in the Forest Dale Cemetery, Malden. Visitation will be held in the funeral home on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 from 4 to 8 PM. Contributions in John’s memory may be made to the Malden Firemen Relief Association, 1 Sprague Street, Malden, MA 02148.
Weir MacCuish Funeral Home (781) 322-0834
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