Rev. John H. Pressey,
89, of Fellows Road,
husband of the late
Marjorie (Nickerson)
Pressey, died Friday
August 8, 2008 in
his Ipswich home
following his long
illness.
Born in Salem
January 6, 1919, son
of the late Charles
H. and Carrie K.
(Blake) Pressey, he
was raised in Salem
and was a graduate
of Salem public
schools. He was a
graduate of Gordon
College and of
the Boston
University School of
Theology. Married
in 1942, he served
the following year
with the U.S. Army.
An ordained
minister, he began
his ministries at
Sherman Station, ME
followed by
pastorates in the
United Methodist
Church in Skowhegan,
ME, East Saugus,
Ipswich United
Methodist Church,
Glendale Church in
Everett, First
Church in Lynn,
Maynard and
Beverly. Since his
retirement in 1982
he served at the
Wesley Methodist
Church in Salem and
as an associate
minister at the
First Congregational
Church in Hamilton
for seven years,
followed by a
position of Ministry
to the Elderly at
the First
Congregational
Church of Boxford.
Most recently he
served as co-pastor
at the Linebrook
Church in Ipswich.
He and his wife
Marge led tours
group tours to
Great Britain,
Europe, Hawaii and
the Caribbean, and
served as a chaplain
on cruise ships of
the Holland America
and Princess Cruise
Lines.
He is survived by a
son, Doane Pressey
of Ipswich; five
daughters, Carrilee
Gerniglia and her
husband Joseph of
Salem, Laurie Shea
and her husband
Downey of Elliot,
ME, Rachel Kilgour
and her husband John
of Ipswich, Deborah
Viggiano and her
husband Michael of
S. Hamilton, and
Jaye Viggiano and
her husband John of
Pt. Pleasant, NJ;
seventeen
grandchildren;
twenty-two great
grandchildren; a
“just like a
daughter” Denise
Melanson of Beverly
and his beloved
Boston Terrier
“Lily”. He was the
brother of the late
Raymond Pressey
formerly of
Marblehead and
father-in-law of the
late Muriel Pressey
formerly of
Marblehead.
A “Celebration of
his Life Memorial
Service”, with an
interpreter for the
deaf and hearing
impaired, will be
held at noon
Tuesday, August 12,
in the First United
Methodist Church of
Hamilton, 391 Bay
Road, Hamilton.
Family and friends
are respectfully
welcomed. Visiting
hours are Monday 4
to 8 pm in the
Whittier-Porter
Funeral Home, 6 High
Street, Ipswich.
His funeral and
interment services
will be private. In
lieu of flowers
memorial
contributions in his
name may be made to
the Organ Fund,
Linebrook Church,
391 Linebrook Road,
Ipswich, MA 01938.
