William Henry Foley

He leaves his beloved wife of 64 years, Jane (Sarjeant) Foley; three sons, Thomas Foley and his wife Diane, Joseph Foley and his wife Sandy, and William Foley and his wife Cheri; seven daughters Mary Walek and her husband Gregory, Rita Dunham and her husband Thomas, Jane McNulty, Clare Foley, Rose Traynor and her husband Steven, Ann Foley, and Katherine Roden and her husband Roger. He leaves behind his sister Dorothy Weislinger, 18 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren who called him Pa, as well as many nieces, nephews and friends.

Born and raised in Boston, he was the son of Dennis and Dorothy (Waters) Foley. He has lived in Pembroke since 1964. He was the brother of the late John Foley, Robert Foley, and Rita LeBlanc.

Mr. Foley served in the United States Army during World War II. After discharge, he worked for First National Grocery Stores as a meat cutter for many years, a trade he loved and was later employed by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) as a mechanic. In his retirement years he drove a bus for the Pembroke Senior Center.

His life was rooted in faith; he was a regular communicant of St. Thecla Church in Pembroke, where he served as an usher and was a founding member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. He was also a member of the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus.

Mr. Foley will be especially remembered for his gift of song; he was a member of the South Shore Men of Harmony, a barbershop chorus. His unstoppable optimism brought joy to all who met him, most recently to his fellow boxers in the Rock Steady Boxing program in Marshfield MA, a program to support individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Services will be held Thursday for 2pm-4pm and 7pm-9pm at Sullivan Funeral Home in Hanover with Funeral Mass at St. Thecla Catholic Church, Pembroke, Friday 10am. Burial to follow at Couch Cemetery, Marshfield.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Rock Steady Boxing, South Shore c/o Brett Miller 974 E. Washington St. Hanson, MA 02341.