James L. Mulcahy,
Jr., 74, husband of Dorothy P. (White) Mulcahy of Main Street,
Essex died Monday, February 22, 2016 in the Hathorne Hill
Healthcare Center, Danvers following his long illness.
Born in Gloucester
August 2, 1942, son of the late James L. and Lucy E. (Oliver)
Mulcahy, he was raised in Essex and was a 1959 graduate of
Gloucester High School. He continued his education at University
of Massachusetts graduating in 1961 with a B.A. in poultry
science. He went on to manage Hardy’s Hatchery for the next ten
years. For forty-seven years, Jim proudly served on the Essex
Fire Department. During many of these years, he was second in
command of the department from which he retired in 2006. He was
also a member of FEMA. He served in the Army Reserves from 1964
until he was honorably discharged in 1970 as a Staff Sergeant.
For thirty-four years, he was also employed as a service
technician for New England Telephone and later for Verizon from
which he retired in 2004.
To this day, the technicians at the
Danvers garage refer to him as "The Legend" still finding notes
on telephone poles & boxes throughout Cape Ann and North Shore
areas to aid in troubleshooting problems. Jim
volunteered for over twenty years at the Topsfield Fair hatching
baby chicks. He was a fifty year member of the Grange, a member
of Essex County Chief’s Association, a Life Member of the Essex
County Fire Warden’s Association, a Life Member of the Telephone
Pioneers of America, a member of the American Legion Post #0231,
and served as President of the Board of Directors on both the
North Shore Skating Club and Chaval Figure Skating Club of Essex
in the early 1980’s.
In addition to his family, work,
clubs and organizations, Jim enjoyed the time he spent on the
water. Some of his favorite trips were heading down the Essex
River (with a full tank of gas and all hoses connected) to the
back side of Cranes, tuna fishing with Mimi and Donny, and going
with the guys up to Maynard’s on Moosehead Lake in Maine and in
later years heading there with his two daughters to try to catch
“the big one”. He also enjoyed gardening and animal husbandry,
and cherished his life with family and friends.
In addition to his
wife Dorothy of forty-nine years, he is survived by two
daughters, Rebecca Mulcahy and her companion, Ronald MacIntyre
of Essex, and Tricia O’Donnell and her husband Brian of Ipswich;
two grandchildren, Finnegan James and Emma Lucy O’Donnell both
of Ipswich; a brother, David E. Mulcahy and his companion, Carla
Sweeney of Villages, FL; a sister-in-law, Barbara A. Adams of
Topsfield; a niece who was like a daughter, Kendra Berube; a
cousin who was like a sister, Emily Kangas and her husband,
Donny, and many nieces, nephews and cousins. The Mulcahy Family
would like to make a special note of appreciation to Care
Dimensions and Hathorne Hill Healthcare for the extraordinary
care they provided for Jim.
A Funeral Mass of
Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 am Friday in St. John the
Baptist Catholic Church, 52 Main Street, Essex, followed by
interment in the Spring Street Cemetery, Essex. Family and
friends are respectfully welcomed. In lieu of flowers memorial
contributions in his name may be made to
Essex Fire Company Equipment Fund, 24 Martin Street,
Essex, MA 01929, Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Ste. B102,
Danvers, MA 01923, St John the Baptist Church, 52 Main Street,
Essex MA 01929 or a charity of one’s choice.