Phillip Leonard Massey

Phil grew up in Chicago with his sisters Faye and Lois, and his parents, Mollie and Louis. He was captain of his high school football team and went to the University of Kansas on a football scholarship before an injury ended his football and college career. In 1952 he volunteered for the Korean war draft and was inducted into the Army in July. He was eventually posted in Munich, Germany, and from this hub he traveled all over Europe.

After the Army, Phil became one of the early computer geeks. In his memoir he writes:

Here was this huge room with all kinds of punch card equipment with panel lights blinking, tape drives spinning, cards running through sorters, blank cards going through hoppers and coming out full of holes, massive machines spewing out reports. What a sight!

He began at IBM in the Mail Room, where he taught himself data processing and got hands-on practice working with the machines. In 1964, he started working at Honeywell Information Systems, Inc.

In the meantime, Phil met and married the love of his life and his wife of 66 years, Marsha (Bocian) Massey. They lived in Chicago when their oldest son, Gary, was born in 1963 and their second son, Robert, was born in 1967. In 1969, after Phil received a promotion, they packed up the family and moved to Singletary Lane in Framingham. Their third son, David, was born in Massachusetts.

Phil retired in 1990, after “an interesting and productive 25-year career.” In retirement, he enjoyed working in his woodshop, weaving Nantucket baskets, watching black and white classic movies, traveling, and following the Red Sox and Patriots. He was also the patriarch of a growing cadre of 6 grandchildren, 5 step grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren.

Phil was a great guy. Gentle, intelligent, and loving. Most of all, he had a great sense of humor. His favorite quote was by the sportswriter, Grantland Rice…

For when the One Great Scorer comes

To mark against your name,

He writes – not that you won or lost –

But How you played the Game.

Phil was an excellent player. We are also pretty sure he won.

Beloved husband of Marsha, father of Gary & wife Chelly, Robert & wife Karen, and David (Of Blessed Memory), grandfather of Rafi & wife Leora, Yonah & wife Sarah, Aaron, Shira, Ben & fiancée Ilana, and Reva Massey, step-grandfather of Ben and Elazar Huisman, Aviva & Amir Ben Josef, Chaya & Omer Helbitz, Batja & Yaniv Costica and great-grandfather of many.

Cherished brother of Fay and Lois (OBM) and his sister-in-law Paula Katz; uncle of Jeffrey & Beth Katz and Diane & Steve Marche, Cheryl, Judy, Larry (OBM), Kelly, Patrick, and Laura. Great- and Great-great uncle of sundry.

A graveside service will be held at the Framingham/Natick Jewish Cemetery (49 Fairview Ave, Natick) on Thursday, November 2 at 2 PM with Rabbi Blumberg and Cantor Wolff of Temple Beth Am. Shiva will be held at Brookdale Senior Living, Cushing Park (300 West Farm Pond Road, Framingham), Apartment 221 after the service on Thursday November 2, and on Sunday, November 5 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Donations in Phil’s memory may be made to the Temple Beth Am Levine Library.