JOSEPH LEWIS DEERING
Photographs
Born: February 11, 1907, Revere,
MA
Died: May 19, 1987 (2nd heart attack), Shirley, MA
Buried: Shirley Village Cemetery,
Shirley, Massachusetts, beside his wife Esther Elizabeth (Gates) Deering
Wife:
Esther Elizabeth (Gates) Deering
Married: January 20, 1940, Acton, MA
Joseph L. Deering and Esther E. Gates were married by Rev. Arthur H. Wilde in
the home of Dr. Paul P Gates, Central Street, West Acton, Ma., on January 20,
1940
Conversion to Christianity: June 1969
Parents:
Father:
Joseph Francis Deering
Mother:
Catherine
Marilla (Hammond) Deering
Children:
Son: Ronald
Joseph Deering
Son: James
Porter Deering
Siblings:
Brother:
Ronald Christie Deering
Sister:
Margaret Lorena (Deering) Welch
Sister:
Flora Josephine (Deering) Leonard
Education etc.:
Grade school, High School, Revere, MA
Boston Institute of Fine Arts, Boston,
MA
Army National Guard, F Troop, 110th
Cavalry
Fitchburg State Teachers College,
Fitchburg, MA
Occupation:
Carpenter Instructor, Commonwealth of
Massachusetts, Shirley Industrial School for Boys, Shirley, Massachusetts;
Retired 1968
Also a licensed (Comm. of Mass.)
Projectionist
Boston First Interceptor Command,
Aircraft Warning Service, US Army Civilian Observer #527433
Town of Acton, MA, Division of
Civilian Defense - Qualified National Defense Fireman
Town of Shirley, MA Special Police
Officer
4-H Instructor
Board member - Shirley, MA Troop-1,
Boy Scouts of America
Sexton, United Church of Shirley, MA
Town Building(s) caretaker
Residence(s):
Born at 363
Mountain Ave., Revere, MA
12 S. Genesee Street, Revere, Ma,
1042 Main Street, Southbridge, Ma
(1940)
Shirley Industrial School for Boys,
Harvard Road, Shirley, Ma (1941-1953)
Shirley Industrial School for Boys,
Wilde Road, Shirley, Ma (1953-1968)
177 Great Road, Shirley, Ma
(1968-1987)
Notes (from son Jim):
Joe died in Esther's arms after
suffering a 2nd heart attack while mowing his front lawn with Esther. He
collapsed and she held his head in her lap, while on the ground, as he died. Dad
was originally Roman catholic and left that faith to be with Esther (protestant)
in church on Sundays. He and Esther came to believe in Jesus Christ as his savior
at a "fish fry" held by the Songtime radio ministry in August of 1969. They both
became faithful followers of Jesus until their deaths.
Public Spirit - Ayer, Massachusetts - Obituary:
JOSEPH LEWIS DEERING
SHIRLEY -
Joseph Lewis Deering, 80, of Great Road, died May 19, 1987 at The Nashoba
Community Hospital in Ayer.
Born in Revere, Mass., February 11, 1907, son of the late Joseph Francis and
Catherine Marilla (Hammond) Deering.
He is survived by his wife Esther (Gates) Deering.
He leaves two sons; Ronald J. Deering of West Townsend, James P. Deering of
Shirley; one sister, Flora Leonard of Everett and three grandchildren.
He graduated from The Art Institute of Boston, attended Fitchburg State College
and retired after 30 years from the Shriely Industrial School for Boys where he
was an instructor in woodwork and carpentry.
He was sexton and member of the United Church of Shirley and served with Troop F
of the 110th Massachusetts National Guard Cavalry. He also served as a committee
member of the Shriely Boy Scouts for thrity years, and the 4H Club as a leader,
and a lifetime member of the Shirley Rod + Gun club.
A memorial service was held at the United Church of Shirley on May 22. Burial
was in the Shirley Village Cemetery. Rev. Dale McQueen officiated.
Donations in his memory may be sent to the United Church of Shirley Memorial
Fund.
Compiled from Ayer "Public Spirit" (February 1987 - last week) and other sources.
===================================
More:
He held a Commonwealth of Massachusetts Firearm License H 382564
He held a Commonwealth of Massachusetts License to Carry Firearms B48843
He was 5'10", 175 lbs, Blue Eyes, Brown hair (red-brown) beard
Morton and Rossi(e) Johnson (21 Crest Ave., Lunenburg, MA) lived in an apartment
when we lived in ISB Cottage #2, Harvard Rd, Shirley MA.
Aircraft Warning Service
U.S. Army
Observer #527433
Joseph L. Deering and Esther E. Gates were married by
Rev. Arthur H. Wilde in the home of Dr. Paul P Gates, Central Street, West
Acton, Ma., on January 20, 1940
Present at the wedding were (recorded):
June Kimball - cousin of Esther
Ronald F. Deering - brother of Joe
Catherine M. Deering - mother of Joe
Flora Leonard - sister of Joe, future wife of Donald Leonard (not present)
Joseph F. Deering - father of Joe
William J. Brenner -
Ronnie R. Brenner -
Katherine A. Smith -
Margaret Deering - sister of Joe
Emrick P. Gates - father of Esther
Nellie E. Gates - mother of Esther
Paul N. Gates - brother of Esther
James N. Gates - brother of Esther
Ethel Gates - Wife of Paul N. Gates
Virginia Fowler - future wife of James N. Gates
Judy Gates (baby daughter of Paul and Ethel Gates)
Mrs. Alden Flagg - Neighbor
Lena H. Kimball -
Alden Flagg - Neighbor
Janet Flagg - Neighbor
Mrs J. Locker -
Thomas Welch - future husband of Margaret Deering
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Ashworth
Mrs. Costello - Violinst
He was also:
Custodian at the United Church of Shirley
Custodian at the Hazen Public Library of Shirley
Custodian at the Town of Shirley Municipal Building
Worked with Archie Patterson, Jerald Jubb, and many others shoring up and then digging under the United Church to place 7 Sunday School rooms there.
Served on several committies at the United Church of
Shirley
Pre-war and early during WWII a member of the National Defense Firemen, Division
of Civilian Defense in Acton, Ma.
January 1987 hospitalized at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital for a severe
myocadial infarction requireing CPR.
April 27, 1987 Wide excision of Merkle cell tumor, right temple area, and right
cervical lymph node biopsy.
May 4, 1987 The biopsy report reveals that the patient has an undifferentiated
malignant tumor consistent with Merkel cell tumorof the right temple area and
the lymph node appears to be metastatic Merckel cell tumor.
In a note to Esther, his wife, United Church of Shirley
Moderator, Leone H. Noddin wrote on the awarding of the "13th Apostle" award to
Joe:
"...As a church member for over 20 years now, I will always remember Joe's
smiling face as he helped others; whether it be in cleaning, helping set up
tables, helping others clean up the kitchen after coffee hour or in hundreds of
other ways -- sometimes just lending an ear while someone got something 'off his
/ or her chest' that was bothering them. -- The body of the church was very
fortunate to be able to share the many years Joe spent with us. The people in
the church are finer people for having known him. Thank you for sharing him with
us." - May 27, 1987
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Department of Public Safety
Motion Picture Machine Operator's License #25
Shirley Industrial School for Boys
Issued July 1, 1970
Dad had been Projector Operator for ISB since the late 1950's
498 JOSEPH LEWIS DEERING7
Catherine
Marilla Hammond6
Timothy Lewis
Nugent Hammond5
Amelia Payzant4
John Payzant3
Rev John Payzant2
Louis Payzant 1, p. 108 and 173
Marion M. Payzant, The Payzant and Allied Jess and Juhan Families in North
America, Semline Inc. Wollaston, MA, 1970
2013-09-18
2024-04-06 update