Henry "Hank" Eugene Cahill Sr.

Henry "Hank" Eugene Cahill, Sr. of Osterville, MA. Hank passed away November 19, 2016 at Cape Regency in Centerville, MA. He was born November 5, 1920 in Rockford, Illinois and raised in Shrewsbury, MA. Hank and his wife Betty raised their children in Sherborn, MA. Hank and Betty spent their retirement years in Osterville, MA. His profession was that of large machine tool salesman. He worked for several representative New England companies servicing the metal cutting industry from Maine to Pennsylvania. He belonged to the Masons at Winslow Lewis Lodge in Boston, MA. Hank had a passion for airplanes and enjoyed sailing.

Predeceased by his stepfather Walter Peyton Cahill, Sr. and mother Catherine Johnston Cahill; wife Betty and son Christopher; his brother Gilbert Nelson and his half brother Walter Peyton Cahill, Jr.

Survived by his daughter Kathleen Magowan and son-in-law Ken of Osterville, MA; daughter Jennifer Dark and son-in-law Steven of New Bern, NC; son Geoffrey Cahill and wife Allene of Richmond, VA; son Henry Cahill, Jr. and wife Karen of Pelham, NH. Also survived by six grandchildren: Emily, Melissa, Stephanie, Elizabeth, Courtney and Kathleen, and a great grandson, Josef. Also survived by his half brother Thomas Cahill and his wife Ginny.

Hank served in the Army Air Forces in World War II as a member of the 371st Bomb Squadron, 307th Bomb Group. Participated in 5 campaigns in the Pacific from 19842 to 1945 where he served as a Flight Engineer on B-24's. Received commendation for work in a strike on an enemy convoy in March 1945. Received 2 Presidential Unit Citations in 1944. He was promoted to Master Sergeant for his part in a mission to retrieve a B-24 which had been damaged during a forced landing on a remote island off the coast of New Guinea in the Western Pacific. Mission accomplished when the plane was repaired on site and flown back to base with Hank as co-pilot and two others in spite of long odds, little food or water and very little for tools. He also served in the Korean Conflict at Westover Air Force Base.

Following military service attended Clark University in Worcester, MA where he met and later married Betty May Anderson. Married in 1948 which lasted for 58 years until her passing in 2006.

Later in life Hank and Betty enjoyed many happy days sailing their boat, Lark. They belonged to the Wianno Yacht Club of Osterville and sailed out of West Bay to their favorite destinations including: Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, the Elizabeth Islands and the coast of Maine.

The family wishes to thank Kathleen and Ken Magowan for their years of caregiving to both Hank and Betty. They also wish to thank the staff at Cape Regency for their tender care of Hank during his stay there.

Burial services are private and are handled by Doane, Beal & Ames Funeral Home of Hyannis, MA. Hank will be laid to rest next to his beloved Betty at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA.