Local obituary: Paul Garrity, ‘old duffer’ at 90, remembered as voracious reader, loving family man

Paul J. Garrity passed away at the ripe age of 90 as an old duffer, narrowly avoiding becoming an old codger. Born in Boston in his family’s apartment on Blue Hill Avenue on, appropriately, Labor Day, he was the youngest of 7. His parents, Michael Garrity and Mary (Coleman) Garrity, met here in Boston after emigrating from Ireland. As Dad would say, “We came from nothing”, but his family certainly became something. He lived the dream.

He married his teenage sweetheart, Joan (Keddy) Garrity after serving his country for two years in The U.S. Army, mostly in foreign lands such as West Germany and New Jersey. They had eight beautiful children that have all aged a bit peculiarly and irregularly. Nonetheless, he was very proud of all of them. As he would say, “At least they have avoided jail, for the most part”. He and Joan also had 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Papa to all of them. The dream just kept on going.

Thanks to the GI bill, Dad went to Boston State, then to Babson College (MBA) and, after five long years of night school, graduated from Suffolk Law School. He passed the bar exam the same month that his eighth child was born. He worked for NASA during the moonshot years, then for HUD, and taught at Bridgewater State University. 

He read voraciously and at times would be working on up to five books simultaneously. He was also an aspiring author but, alas, he suffered from the ultimate writer’s block, never putting one word to paper. Though he did come up with some provocative titles such as “Dogs Have No Uncles” and “Profiles in String”.

Dad was the ultimate first generation American, hard working, never seeking personal attention. He also was the personification of dark Irish humor, bordering on bleakness and hopelessness. However, by his actions throughout life he disproved this notion and lived a dream of a lifetime. As we have gone through old photos since his passing, it is striking that he always had a huge smile in all of them. He will always be deeply loved and missed.

He was predeceased by his brothers and sisters: John Garrity, Elizabeth Garrity, Evelyn and Albert Fitzgerald, Thomas and Genevieve Garrity, Rita and Joseph Rigoli, and Mary and Francis Doyle. He is survived by his children Michael and Linda Garrity, Paul Jr and Susan Garrity, Kathleen and Michael Okolita, Jane and Robert King, John Garrity and Ann Marie DiBella, Mary E. (Meg) Garrity, Anne T. (Nancy) Garrity, and Susan and Roger Zouein; also, 17 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Thursday December 12, 2024 from 4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St. (off Central St.), Hingham. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 9:00 AM on Friday Decemer 13th prior to the Funeral Mass in St. Paul’s Church, Hingham at 10 AM. Burial will follow in Hingham Cemetery, Hingham. See www.Keohane.com for directions and online condolences.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Paul Joseph Garrity, please visit Pyne Keohane Funeral Home – Hingham’s flower store.

This local obituary is published via Legacy.com and Pyne Keohane Funeral Home – Hingham. Want a loved one’s obituary featured on Boston.com? Submit your obituary here, or email it to [email protected].