14 August, 2019
George R. Desmond of Framingham, formerly of Sherborn, Massachusetts passed away
peacefully on August 13, 2019. He was the husband of Alice B. Desmond to whom he
was married for 59 years. Born in Framingham in 1930 he was the son of the late George
R. Desmond, Sr. and Kathryn Orzeck Desmond. He graduated from St Stephen School,
Framingham, Boston College High School in 1947 and Boston College in 1951. He
started law school at Boston College and then served in the U.S. Army 66th Counter
Intelligence Corps in Germany as a resident special agent in Weiden, Bavaria for two
years. After his discharge from the Army he finished law school at Georgetown
University in 1956 and worked as an attorney for the US Department of Justice in
Washington and on special assignments in Montgomery, Alabama, New Orleans, Biloxi,
Mississippi and Pensacola Florida. While in Montgomery he met Alice Ballard whom he
married in 1960.
He stayed with the Department of Justice until 1962 when he returned to Framingham to
open a law practice. He started out in a general practice of law but over the years the
practice developed into a concentration on bankruptcy and insolvency. He was involved
in many notable reported cases and was active in bar association activities serving as
Chairman of the Massachusetts Bar Association Committee on Bankruptcy from 1970 to
1976 and as president of the South Middlesex Bar Association in 1977.
He enjoyed traveling across the country with his family, cooking and hosting friends at
his home. He served as a lay lector at St. Stephen Church in Framingham and St. Theresa
Church in Sherborn. He was especially devoted to Boston College High School where he
served as the reunion organizer of his class.
In addition to his wife he is survived by his daughter Mary Hooper, her husband Sean
Hooper, grandchildren Liam Hooper and Haley Hooper of St. Charles, Illinois, his son
John Desmond, his wife Cecile Desmond and grandson James Desmond of Hopkinton,
Massachusetts, his daughter Susan Desmond of Lynn, Massachusetts, and his sister
Maureen Kelly and her husband Brian Kelly of Camden, Maine. He was predeceased by
his sister Patricia Hunter of Natick and Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Saturday August
17, 2019 at St. Stephen Church, 221 Concord Street, Framingham, Massachusetts. There
will be a visitation period before the funeral from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. at the
McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, 11 Lincoln Street, Framingham,
Massachusetts.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Callanan Cronin Funeral Home,
Hopkinton.
