Obituary for Thomas P. McDonough Jr.
Billerica – Thomas P. McDonough Jr., age 80, beloved husband of Carole J. (Campbell) McDonough, died comfortably on February 22, 2021, at the Winchester Hospital after a period of declining health.
Born in Malden on June 10, 1940, he was a son of the late Thomas P. McDonough Sr. and Thelma (Gill) McDonough. He was raised in Malden and later moved to Tewksbury before settling in Billerica in 1989.
Tom proudly served in the U.S. Army where, among other duties, he worked with howitzers while stationed in Germany. He was later employed as a welder for General Electric in Lynn and Everett and then worked as a Diesel and Air Conditioning Mechanic for AT&T before retiring in 2000.
When Tom said, “watch this” with a nudge, everyone prepared for him to playfully stir up trouble. Although he joked about sending family members on one-way trips to Siberia, his favorite destination was Alaska. He often recalled how he and his wife had gotten caught in downpours in Ketchikan.
Closer to home, Tom looked forward to summer getaways at Merrymeeting Lake. At the cabin, he neverturned down a game of Skat played with Mike and Ikes as markers. Many days, he teased about people “sandbagging” him during cards and then tried to sneak in nonsense words later during Scrabble.
Wherever he was, one could count on Tom to know the best coffee shop and no less than three ways to get there to avoid traffic. When he was driving, he would frequently circle the block until he reached the end of the chapter in his latest Western or detective book tape.
Tom gave great advice. He always found the perfect page in his encyclopedias and had a knack for explaining situations with an analogy to when AT&T split up. Opposed to email, Tom laughed about sending “R-mail” instead (i.e., a rock wrapped in a letter). He was also quite likely one of the last people with a passbook savings account, but “the thing of it is,” he never trusted computers.
As an avid Civil War history buff, Tom spent countless afternoons reading biographies and historical literature. When in the mood for TV, he was just as likely to watch Blue Bloods, Band of Brothers, and anything starring John Wayne as he was animated films like Shrek and Monsters, Inc. He also played his share of cribbage and Monopoly and routinely broke his no computers guideline to play virtual Pinochle and Solitaire.
Tom will be remembered most for his dedication to his family and gift of bringing humor to any situation with just a wink or playful bend of his pinky finger.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife Carole and treasured daughters Dorothy Snook and her husband Timothy of Manchester, NH, Donna McDonough of Billerica and Christine MacKenzie and her husband Geoffrey of Londonderry, NH. He is also survived by his sisters Marcia Elliott of Malden and Louise Aiello and her husband Domenic of Melrose; sister-in-law Carla McDonough of Woburn; brother-in-law David Burque of Lexington; his six grandchildren Amanda Beyea and her husband Andrew, Cassandra Vorsteveld and her husband Anton, Kevin MacKenzie and his partner Geoffrey Thompson, Zachary Snook and his wife Kelsi, Samantha MacKenzie and Kyle MacKenzie and his partner Kayla Lovy; seven
great-grandchildren; and 24 nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Kenneth McDonough and his wife Janice, Robert McDonough and Marilyn Burque.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, services will be invitation only. All attendees will be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing. Memorial contributions may be made in Thomas’ name to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org
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Born in Malden on June 10, 1940, he was a son of the late Thomas P. McDonough Sr. and Thelma (Gill) McDonough. He was raised in Malden and later moved to Tewksbury before settling in Billerica in 1989.
Tom proudly served in the U.S. Army where, among other duties, he worked with howitzers while stationed in Germany. He was later employed as a welder for General Electric in Lynn and Everett and then worked as a Diesel and Air Conditioning Mechanic for AT&T before retiring in 2000.
When Tom said, “watch this” with a nudge, everyone prepared for him to playfully stir up trouble. Although he joked about sending family members on one-way trips to Siberia, his favorite destination was Alaska. He often recalled how he and his wife had gotten caught in downpours in Ketchikan.
Closer to home, Tom looked forward to summer getaways at Merrymeeting Lake. At the cabin, he neverturned down a game of Skat played with Mike and Ikes as markers. Many days, he teased about people “sandbagging” him during cards and then tried to sneak in nonsense words later during Scrabble.
Wherever he was, one could count on Tom to know the best coffee shop and no less than three ways to get there to avoid traffic. When he was driving, he would frequently circle the block until he reached the end of the chapter in his latest Western or detective book tape.
Tom gave great advice. He always found the perfect page in his encyclopedias and had a knack for explaining situations with an analogy to when AT&T split up. Opposed to email, Tom laughed about sending “R-mail” instead (i.e., a rock wrapped in a letter). He was also quite likely one of the last people with a passbook savings account, but “the thing of it is,” he never trusted computers.
As an avid Civil War history buff, Tom spent countless afternoons reading biographies and historical literature. When in the mood for TV, he was just as likely to watch Blue Bloods, Band of Brothers, and anything starring John Wayne as he was animated films like Shrek and Monsters, Inc. He also played his share of cribbage and Monopoly and routinely broke his no computers guideline to play virtual Pinochle and Solitaire.
Tom will be remembered most for his dedication to his family and gift of bringing humor to any situation with just a wink or playful bend of his pinky finger.
Tom is survived by his beloved wife Carole and treasured daughters Dorothy Snook and her husband Timothy of Manchester, NH, Donna McDonough of Billerica and Christine MacKenzie and her husband Geoffrey of Londonderry, NH. He is also survived by his sisters Marcia Elliott of Malden and Louise Aiello and her husband Domenic of Melrose; sister-in-law Carla McDonough of Woburn; brother-in-law David Burque of Lexington; his six grandchildren Amanda Beyea and her husband Andrew, Cassandra Vorsteveld and her husband Anton, Kevin MacKenzie and his partner Geoffrey Thompson, Zachary Snook and his wife Kelsi, Samantha MacKenzie and Kyle MacKenzie and his partner Kayla Lovy; seven
great-grandchildren; and 24 nieces and nephews. He was the brother of the late Kenneth McDonough and his wife Janice, Robert McDonough and Marilyn Burque.
Due to COVID-19 precautions, services will be invitation only. All attendees will be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing. Memorial contributions may be made in Thomas’ name to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org
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