Shrewsbury – John J. Morrissey Sr., 81, died Thursday, June 9, 2016 of a sudden illness at UMass Medical Center.
John was born June 13, 1934 in Worcester, and lived most of his adult life in Shrewsbury.
He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Cathleen M. Crider; his children, Marie (John) Woodward of Rotterdam, N.Y., Peggy (Joe) Barrett of Holly Springs, Ga., John (Michelle) Morrissey of Auburn, Miles (Deirdre Shea) Morrissey of Easthampton, Ellen Broadhurst of Westfield, and Denise (Bob) Riggs of Southampton; his brother, Mark (Carla) Morrissey of Paxton, and sister, Roseann (Ronnie) Partridge of Sanford, Fla.; and his grandchildren, Jack and Grace Woodward, Lexi Miller, Angela Morrissey, Samantha Vielmas, Conor and Anna Shea Morrissey, and Liam Broadhurst. He was predeceased by his first wife, Ann Mooney Morrissey Biggins; his daughter, Deirdre Morrissey Barrett; and his brothers, Robert Morrissey and Michael Morrissey.
John graduated from Wachusett Regional High School and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He retired in 1998 as an electrical design engineer from New England Electric Systems.
John was a frequent patron and sponsor of the Shrewsbury Public Library and enjoyed his Thursday mornings with the Shrewsbury Friends Men’s Club, and was a long time Shrewsbury Town Meeting member.
He enjoyed outdoor activities, especially nature photography, his garden, and fall trips into the woods with his hunting buddies. He and his wife, Cathleen, loved to travel and enjoyed many trips together, including repeated hiking trips to the National Parks, to Scotland, and the Swiss Alps.
John was a lifelong student who loved the great questions and was an avid reader, with an especially great curiosity for investigating all things science.
Memorial services are private. There are no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Shrewsbury Public Library, 374 Lake St., Shrewsbury, MA 01545.