John James MacDonald

We have lost another from the Greatest Generation. John James MacDonald, 93 of Hanover, MA and Clear Springs, Prince Edward Island, Canada, formerly of Dorchester, passed away on February 17, 2021. John MacDonald, was a retired Boston Police sergeant who also served honorably in the United States Navy from 1945-1946. John was born and raised in East Boston and at the age of 17 enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II. He spent six months in the hospital in Pearl Harbor after being wounded. He was awarded the Purple Heart but refused the award because he said he wasn't a hero who was wounded by a bullet, (just a boat propeller puncturing his stomach!) He believed the real heroes were the men who never returned home.

Thankfully, John came home from the war and worked at Gillette in Boston where he met Anna Bacon and courted her at Hibernian Hall. He took one look at Anna and said "she's the one!" John and Anna were married and lived in Dorchester and John became a Boston Police Officer, a patrolman, and then a sergeant working as a plainclothes detective. John had many stories about his police work in Roxbury Crossing, Station 2.

John and Anna raised 5 children, Jean, John "Jack", Peter, Annmarie, and Mary. John and Anna loved to ballroom dance at Moseley's and did so regularly. John was passionate about his love for automobiles and loved to work on his cars. As a matter of fact, in the MacDonald household once you passed the state driving test, you had to pass the John MacDonald test which included the knowledge of changing the oil and tires by yourself. John's favorite place in the world was beautiful Prince Edward Island, Canada. Every year he would bring his family to the island for a vacation and he shared his love of the island with all of his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

After the passing of Anna, John moved from Dorchester to Hanover where he lived for 35 years. He met Claire Garrigan, his longtime companion. John and Claire spent many evenings with a large circle of friends dancing at the Viking Club. For the past 17 years, John lived in Hanover along with his son Peter and his grandsons, Daniel, Michael, and Joseph. Peter and the boys took excellent care, helping John so that he could live to his 93rd year, especially during the pandemic, while he was recovering from sepsis at home this past year.

John's family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the nurses from Advantage Nursing, most especially, John's beloved nurse "Dee", Connie, Lee, Jan, and Tanya and nursing case manager extraordinaire Donna and all of the Certified Nursing Assistants, especially Katelyn and Maureen who also took such excellent care of John. 

Visiting hours at the Sullivan Funeral Home, 551 Washington St. Rte. 53, Hanover, on Thursday from 4-8 pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary of the Sacred Heart (Holy Mothers Collaborative) 392 Hanover St. Rte. 139, Hanover, on Friday at 10 am. Interment Blue Hills Cemetery Braintree.