Joseph C. Damery, 93, a long-time resident of Bedford, passed away after a brief illness on Feb. 11, 2024. Joseph was born in Boston in 1930 and was the eldest son of the late Clarence J. and Hazel V. (Ericsson) Damery.
He was raised in Cambridge and Arlington until the age of 11 when the family moved to Bedford in March 1942.
Joe graduated from Lexington High School in 1949 (as Bedford did not have their own high school at that time). He then went to work in the carpentry trade, building houses in and around Bedford until his enlistment in the service. Joe proudly served four years in the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged as a 1st Class Airman.
He worked as an air traffic controller and was deployed to Seoul, South Korea. He would spend off-duty time visiting the local orphanage, where he introduced the children to classical music. Joe built and maintained a cherished friendship with one of the orphanage staff members, and in 1985, they even had the opportunity to meet each other’s families.
Upon his discharge, he returned to Bedford and landed a job with the New England Telephone & Telegraph Co. in 1956. He remained there for 42 years and retired in 1998.
His love of music, especially marching bands, drum & bugle corps, military bands and orchestras, started when Joe was a boy and continued throughout his life. As a teen, Joe was a drummer in the Norman Prince Drum & Bugle Corps in Melrose. In the early 1960s, he formed the Bedford Militiamen Junior Drum & Bugle Corps for the teens of Bedford, many of whom he was still in contact with until his passing.
In 1974, Joe worked with the Girl Scout Cadette troop in Bedford to form the Bedford Girl Scout Bell Band. The girls learned to play glockenspiels and snare drums. They marched in local parades over the years and were even invited to play and march at Disney World.
Along with music, Joe’s interest in railroads carried through his entire life. He enjoyed riding trains, visiting nearby train stations to watch them come and go and, in recent years, going online to join other rail fans watching trains throughout the U.S. right from home.
Joe was a long-time member of the American Legion Post #221 and the Frank W. Thompson Lodge, both in Bedford. Following his retirement, he became a volunteer at the Edith Norse Rogers Memorial Veterans’ Hospital in Bedford for many years.
He was the devoted husband to the love of his life, the late Mary E. (Martin), loving father of Jo-Ellen Prescott and her husband, Robert, of Bedford; Shawn J. Damery and his wife, Gail, of Norman, Oklahoma; and Nancy L. DiGiovanni and her husband, Peter, of Lowell. Joe was the proud Grampy of Michael Prescott; Corey Prescott and his wife, Lindsay; Blake Damery; Parker DiGiovanni and Marina DiGiovanni. He is survived by his dear sister, Alice M. Hardy, as well as many nieces and nephews. Joe was predeceased by his little sister, Barbara A., and his brother, William A. Damery.
Visiting hours will be held in Shawsheen Funeral Home, 281 Great Rd., Bedford, from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18, followed immediately by a Celebration of Life service, at which the family will encourage those who are interested to say a few words about Joe. A private interment will take place in the spring in Shawsheen Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joseph’s memory to “Patrons of Music Students” (POMS) at Bedford POMS, c/o Bedford High School, 9 Mudge Way, Bedford, MA 01730 or via their website at www.bedfordpoms.org.
Read this feature about Joe and his love of music that ran in The Bedford Citizen on Sept. 6.
Loading ...
