Donald F. York, 80, Formerly of Wayland

WAYLAND, MA - Donald F. York, 80, of Shrewsbury and formerly of Wayland, died Feb. 12, 2016 at UMass Memorial Medical Center University Campus, Worcester, suddenly after being stricken ill earlier at home.

He was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts and raised by his late devoted mother Edna Murdock (Byrne) in Somerville, Massachusetts. Upon graduation from SHS he joined the US Army near the end of the Korean War. With his Honorable Discharge in 1957, he made good use of the G.I. Bill Program and graduated with a B.S. in Business from Boston University in 1961; the first in his family to graduate from college. In 1965, now married with 2 young children, he received his Master’s in Business Administration from New York University, NYC. Donald went on to a business managerial career with stints at Ford Motor Co., IBM, Cabot Corp., and then had a distinguished 28 year career with Polaroid Corp. based in Cambridge, MA. After retiring from Polaroid in 1996, Donald proved adept at his second career of teaching graduate and under graduate level business courses at Boston University, Elmira University, Bermuda College and Portland State University. In 1993, he was the recipient of the Metropolitan Boston University’s (BU) ‘Part-time Teacher of the Year’ award.

For most of his adult years Donald lived with his family in Wayland. He also lived in Poughkeepsie and White Plains, NY; Burlington, MA; Wellesley, MA; Portland, OR; Elmira, NY; Blacksburg, VA, and most recently in Marlboro and Shrewsbury, MA.

Donald’s proudest achievements were the relationships he had with his family. He was predeceased by his brothers, Francis “Tykie” York, Jr. and John McGrath.

Donald is survived by his sister, Marilyn Lewko (York) and his best friend and former wife, Linda York (Falt), with whom he raised 4 surviving children and 5 grandchildren: Robert & Fariba York of Marblehead, MA, Andrew & Kristi York with grand-daughters Hailey & Kendall of Portland, OR, Kathryn Piel (York) with grand-daughters Emma, Lindsey & Isabelle of Grafton, MA and Steven York of Wayland, MA; plus many nieces and nephews.

Donald was an avid reader and excelled at crossword puzzles. A history buff with particular interest in political and military history and the US Revolutionary and Civil Wars, he enjoyed a good discussion about current events. He was a practicing Roman Catholic. He was also an embittered Red Sox fan until 2004 and he enjoyed watching the Patriots on fall and winter Sundays. He always put his family’s needs before his own and was always there to lend a helping hand. Always an eye-rolling punster, Donald had a great sense of humor and ever a quick smile.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 9:45AM from the Duckett – J. S. Waterman & Sons Home of Memorial Tribute, 656 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, to St. Ann Church, 134 Cochituate Road, Wayland, for the funeral Mass at 11AM.

Interment at Bourne National Veterans’ Cemetery will be private.

Calling hours will be held Wednesday from 4-8PM at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in his memory to Catholic Schools Foundation at www.csfboston.org.

Obituary and photo courtesy of Duckett Funeral Home of J.S. Waterman