Life with Dad

Our parents went to High School together. At that time the boys were separated from the girls. We remember asking our Mother did they date in High school and they did not. She said she used to see him sneaking across the girls section on the field because he was late. He could have gotten into a lot of trouble and her girlfriends used to say "there goes that handsome Eddie Healey"

We remember our father telling us the story of how they met at the Jamaica Plain Pond. He was with Tom Cunningham and My mother and another girl. Tom took a shine to my beautiful mother but she was not at all interested. Soon after that encounter our dad was enlisted in the Army he proudly served his country in Europe and Africa during World War II.. My parents exchanged beautiful love letters during this long separation. They were so very much in love and it showed.

They were married at the Mission Church June 21 1949. They would have nine children together.

Our house was full of love we remember catching my dad stealing a kiss in the kitchen from my mom. She adored him and my dad loved her. We were so blessed to have loving parents. The best gift he gave us was his love .He showed all of us how to love each other.

He loved us, he loved our children and he loved this Church. He was a quiet guy with a caring smile that spent his whole life doing the right thing.

He loved baseball and the Red Sox although he could not believe how much the tickets were. He loved being a Little League coach As well.

He would never miss one of his children's games events or anything that added meaning to our lives. If you had one word to describe our dad It would be loyal .Every event in our lives he was there .He loved us he loved our children and he loved this church.

He was a standup guy. He taught his children to never take anything that did not belong to you and to always be extremely kind. He also taught us to put your self in someone else shoes before you make a judgment. He was all about character and grace in actions. Very humble but had a great since of humor. Enjoyed a funny situation and WE could not wait to share with him a story. He love to study people and readily gave advice on how to handle a tough situation.

No one came before my father's family and he had high expectations for all of us. He sent us all to college and kept working, kept providing never complained, just did it. His clear message (quietly understood) is that the best gift you can give your children is independence. All the time making sure we were cared for. "If you are in depended you will never need to have some one takes care of you and you learn to take care of your self.

He lived a clean life and setting a good example of a kind humble man. Our father believed if you treated people right you would be treated right back.

He had a strong work ethic. Our father never missed a day at work as a pressman for the Boston Globe. There is a saying in our family, "buy a Globe and support a Healey." Never more true than today where two have his sons have followed in his footsteps and now work as pressmen at the Globe.

Every thing was going well until our mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My dad was a widower at the age of 52 and faced with raising eight children. Jimmy was only eight years old. We became very close and would watch out for each other And DAD

Every time my father would have a cold we would start calling each other "Dad does not feel well" concerned that we might lose him too and he was our life line.

Our dad was so much fun. Our father and the boys took one adventure to Fox woods. He brought a loaf of bread and some ham and cheese with him. We asked him how the trip was and he told us how our brothers were making fun of him with his supplies. And quickly added with a chuckle, "But they all had a sandwich on the way home."

After he retired he took an active role volunteering in the community that meant so much to him. He was always helping out at Mission Church, he did volunteer work with the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. He was a Eucharistic Minister taking Holy Communion to the sick.

Everyone one of us has our own fond memory of him:

• Diane on his patience.
• Terry on how proud he was of her son Robbie winning an athletic award
• Edmund enjoyed playing catch in the back yard.
• Christine remembered asking him why he did not marry again and he said "ONE Love One life"
• Jeannie playing cards with him and he would catch her cheating. He always reacted with a shake of a head and calling her by her full name.
• Roberta remembering as a young married couple living on the second floor apartment and how kind and generous he was to her and her husband Lou.
• Tommy Never missing one of his basket ball games.
• Jimmy on what good buddies they always were.

The best experience in life was to witness our dad's love with his grandchildren He would read them a book or teach some one to hold a bat. He taught it a kind manner and never past judgment. Kindness was his Mantra.

Our dad was a class act.

Thanks for sharing your love of life with us DAD! Thanks for making life so much fun! WE will miss our dad, grandfather, and friend everyday.

Live today in such away that when tomorrow comes the memories of yesterday will all be cherished ones.

Funeral Arrangements:

Wake

Funeral

The funeral was on Saturday Morning, May 6, 2006, at 9:00
at the Mission Church, the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help,
1545 Tremont Street
Mission Hill Massachusetts 02120
(617) 445-2600
Click here for directions to the church. The funeral home is directly across the street.

Published Death notice

HEALEY, Edmund A. - Lifelong resident of Mission Hill, May 2, 2006. Beloved husband of the late Mary P. (Lennon) Healey. Devoted and loving father of Mary Diane of Brighton, Ann Theresa of Dedham, Edmund A. Jr of No Quincy, Christine Healey Harnois of Roslindale, Roberta DiRupo of Wilmington, Jean Marie of Billerica, Thomas M. of No Quincy and James F. of Mission Hill and the late Robert Healey. Dearly loved by 8 grandchildren. Dear brother of the late Thomas, Robert, Helen Creeden and Mary Healey. Funeral from the David J. O'Connor Funeral Home, 1558 Tremont St, MISSION HILL Saturday, May 6 at 8 AM followed by a Concelebrated Mass of christian burial in the Mission Church at 9 AM. Visiting hours Friday 2-4 & 6-8 PM. Interment Mt Benedict Cemetery, West Roxbury. Late Veteran US Army Corp. Late retired employee of the Boston Globe for 40 years. Late member Local 3 Boston Newspaper Printing Pressman Union (former Secretary Treasurer of the Union). Past Commander of the American Legion Post 327, Mission Hill. Eucharistic Minister for the New England Baptist Hospital. Mission Hill Little League Coach for 25 years. Retired Sacristan at the Mission Church. Worked with the Sisters of Charity Urban Development.

In lieu of flowers rememberances may be made in Ed's memory to the Mission Church Restoration Fund, 1545 Tremont St, Boston 02120 or to the Joslin Diabetes Foundation, 1 Joslin Place, Boston 02215.

Published in the Boston Globe on 5/5/2006.