George Frederick Driscoll, Jr.

 George Frederick Driscoll, Jr., born December 31, 1939 in Lawrence, MA passed away suddenly after surgery at Beth Israel-Lahey Hospital, Burlington, MA. on Saturday, December 19, 2020, 12 days before his 81st birthday.

George was a lifelong resident of Methuen, MA. and in retirement, a snowbird in Winter Park, FL.

George leaves behind his wife, of 59 years, Gertrude (Trudi) Bowes Driscoll. his son Dana Driscoll, daughter-in-law Denise Kirk Driscoll of Salem NH, his son Dean Driscoll, daughter in-law Tracie Porretta Driscoll, and his grandsons Iain and Nicholas Driscoll of Casselberry, FL.

George was predeceased by his parents Bertha Sefton Driscoll and George F. Driscoll, Sr, as well as his stepmother Jessie Young Leach Driscoll. He also leaves his extended family: sister-in-law Edna Bowes Wood & brother-in-law James W. Wood, sister-in-law Joanna Bowes, and brother-in-law John Bowes, all of Spring Hill, FL, brother-in-law Robert Bowes of Salem, NH, niece and God Child Christine Paolucci of Sandown, NH, and God Children Cori O’Brien Chisholm of Norton, MA and Nyasha Gandiya of Chicago, IL as well as many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews as well as Great-great nieces and nephews.

George was a graduate of Tenney High School, Methuen with the class of 1957 and was a graduate of Merrimack College No. Andover, MA. In July 1958, he went to work as a mechanical assembler for Craig Systems Corporation in Lawrence, Ma. He traveled periodically doing field service work and then later worked as an expediter in the purchasing department until 1970.  During his tenure at Craig Systems, he received a call from Uncle Sam in 1963 and spent the next two years in the Army. He was stationed with “A” battery, 3rd Missile Battalion, 21st Artillery in Kitizigen Germany. After returning from active duty he spent two years in the active reserve as a Forward Observer in a 105 Howitzer battery stationed on North Parish Road, Lawrence Mass. He also pursued his college education through the GI bill by attending Merrimack College at night and earned a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration in 1973.

In 1970 George left Craig Systems to operate a small family-owned component manufacturing company, Bowes Machine Inc of Lawrence, MA where he remained until it closed, in 1996. In 1998 he went to work for the IRS, first as a customer service representative, then in the Correspondence Examination unit and then the Fraud Detection Center of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) until his retirement in 2008.

George’s life was not all work and education. Since his childhood, George has had a deep devotion to his church life. He was a member of the church choir at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in So Lawrence, and later served on the church’s governing board.  His calling moved him to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Methuen, MA, where he eventually served as Treasurer for 9 years. Then, after becoming a member of Forest Street Union Church and joining their choir, he became their church Treasurer for 5 years. George’s enjoyment for singing found him as a member of the North Regional Theatre Workshop, NRTW for 5 years. He also had other interests and as his sons progressed through Methuen Youth Hockey, he spent 10 years coaching Mites and Peewee traveling teams as a certified coach.

For 19 years George and his wife Trudi steered a community outreach of bi-monthly dances at St. Andrews Church from Sept-June for adults with developmental disabilities. The “Friday Night Specials Dance” became a dear calling for them to serve their community and to fill a unique social need that did not exist at the time.

Since retirement George and Trudi have split their time between their northern and southern families. During their time in Florida they have volunteered at the school their grandchildren attended and volunteered in distribution at a local UCC church food pantry. For the last 6 years, George was a certified tax-aide from January through April with the AARP sponsored Tax-aide program in Winter Springs and Casselberry Fl.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in George’s memory to Forest Street Union Church, 15 Forest Street Methuen MA 01844 or Multiple Sclerosis Society 375 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of George’s life on Saturday October 9, 2021 at 11:00 am at the Forest Street Union Church, 15 Forest St., Methuen, MA. There will be an hour of visitation from 10 am to 11 am on Saturday prior to the service. Burial will be in Bellevue Cemetery, Lawrence. Arrangements are by the Dewhirst & Boles Funeral Home, 80 Broadway, Methuen.  In keeping with Covid precautions, masks will be required in church. To leave an online condolence, please visit George’s tribute page at www.dewhirstbolesfuneral.com.

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