SHIRLEY — Henry E. Devarney 81, father of seven, died Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at the Leominster Hospital surrounded by his family. He was born in Shirley on Aug. 10, 1926, son of the late Israel and Virginia (Cournoyer) Devarney and was also the husband of the late Elizabeth M. (McCafferty) Devarney, who died in 2003 after 54 years of marriage.
He was a lifelong resident of Shirley, where he attended the schools. A truck driver most of his life, he was first employed at Shirley Fuel and Ice Company as their youngest employee. He later worked for Richard (Cracker) Gendron, a contractor with the town of Shirley doing various jobs and later plowed snow for the town of Shirley as well. He then worked for UCF in Leominster long-hauling but later stopped that job to be closer to home and his family. He worked for P.J. Keating company as a truck driver and equipment operator for more than 20 years until his retirement in 1988. He was a proud member of the Teamsters union. He also worked helping out longtime friend Bobby Tremblay at his garage in Shirley, when needed. He was a veteran of WWII, serving in the United States Army.
He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Joseph Saball, of Shirley; Barbara and Eugene Dumont, of Leominster; Susan Henry, of Shirley; Sandra Devarney, of California; Lora and Robert Prescott Jr., of Shirley; and Beth and David Malo, of Sterling; along with 18 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; as well as his brother, Ovila Devarney, of New Hampshire, and sister Lorraine Lavoie, of Leominster. He was also father of the late Henry E. “Butchie” Devarney and was the brother of the late Joseph and Edward Devarney and Margaret Beckwith.
Services were held at the Hamilton-McGaffigan Funeral Home in Pepperell, followed by burial in Village Cemetery, Shirley.
For more information visit www.mcgaffiganfuneral.com.
