US Marine Corp veteran
MELROSE — John W. “Jack” MacMaster, 76, a resident of Melrose passed away on March 5 in Boston after a short illness.
Jack was born on October 6, 1948 at St. John’s Hospital in Lowell. The son of the late Hector J. “Mac” and Mary E. (Sliney) MacMaster, he was raised in the Highlands Neighborhood of Lowell. He was proud of his Lowell roots and his connection to the Highlands.
Jack received a faith-based education at St. Margaret’s School where he was taught by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. He was a communicant at St. Margaret of Scotland Parish throughout his childhood. In 1966, Jack graduated from Lowell High School. As a student, he played basketball and baseball and was a member of the Business Club. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He later went on to attend the Andover Institute of Business. Jack worked for over 30 years in business, most of those years as a purchasing manager and later as a manufacturing executive. After his retirement, he worked part-time as a ranger and starter at Scottish Highlands Golf Course in Salem, NH.
On August 30, 1974, Jack married the love of his life Kathleen A. Rogers. As parents, their sole passion in life was their four sons,upon whom they doted and raised together in the Mount Vernon Neighborhood of Lawrence.
Jack was a devout Catholic, praying the rosary two times a day. He enjoyed sports particularly golf and relished spending summers with his family at the beach. Jack took great pride in his Irish heritage which he gained from his maternal grandmother Julia (Gainey) Sliney, an Irish immigrant who lived with him throughout his childhood and with whom he had a special relationship.
Jack was a loving husband, a proud father, a caring grandfather and a loyal brother. He is survived by his wife Kathleen of Melrose; his sons Shawn and his wife Shannon of Melrose; Shane and his wife Anna of Melrose; Kevin and his wife Jessica of Fremont, NH; and Brian and his partner Joyce of Honolulu, HI. He leaves behind ten grandchildren Ashleigh, Brody, Kristina, Emma, Samuel, William, Joshua, Cora, Jonathan and Baylor. He is also survived by two sisters Sheila Herbert and her husband Thomas and Mary Gail Jaggers and her husband Jerald. Jack was predeceased by his younger brother and best friend Daniel MacMaster, as well as four other siblings Maureen MacMaster, Mary Ann MacMaster, Mary Elizabeth MacMaster and Kevin MacMaster. He also leaves behind several nieces and nephews and numerous cousins and friends including his dear friends Ron Manabe, Blair Payne and Dan Kinsella.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday, March 10 at 10 a.m. at St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, 4 Herbert St. in Melrose. Interment was private. In lieu of flowers, donations were made in Jack’s memory to St. Mary of the Annunciation School, 4 Myrtle St., Melrose, MA 02176. To sign online condolence, visit gatelyfh.com.