William J. Hegarty

William (Bill/Bunker) J. Hegarty, age 95, a resident of Hudson, NH, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 23, 2025 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH with his family by his side.  He was the beloved husband of the late Margaret R. (Goffredo), with whom he shared over 66 wonderful years of marriage before her passing in 2018.

 Born in Cambridge, MA, proudly on Bunker Hill Day, June 17, 1930, he was a son of the late John and Anne (Uniacke) Hegarty both of Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, Ireland.  He was a graduate of Rindge Technical School.  He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean Conflict from 1950 until his honorable discharge in 1954.  He graduated first in his class in the Electronic Training Program at Great Lakes Naval Training Center, and was able to choose his assignment.  He chose the USS Oriskany CV(A)-34, an Essex class aircraft carrier on her “maiden voyage” and was a proud plank owner.  He loved telling stories of his time spent aboard and the lifelong friends he made.  A particular favorite was when the USS Oriskany became the first aircraft carrier to round Cape Horn, South America.  He and Margaret loved attending Oriskany reunions and meeting up with his old shipmates.  They moved their young family to Chelmsford in the early 1960s and called it home for more than 35 years.

Bill worked the lion’s share of his career with IBM as a Customer Service Engineer.  Besides winning the hearts of all his customers, he loved mentoring “rookies” most of all.  After retiring from IBM, he and his partner opened Pentucket Business Machines and enjoyed many prosperous years.  After retiring, he cruised the world with the love of his life Margaret, volunteered his time at his church administering communion to the homebound, at the Manchester VA Medical Center and at Nashua Soup Kitchen.  

Bill was truly the epitome of a family man.  Family was everything and always came first.  He was an awesome father, grandfather and truly a “great” great-grandfather.  He never missed dance recitals, school plays, concerts, swimming lessons, basketball, volleyball, softball, and hockey games.  He even caught a couple of his grand pup’s agility practices.  He was an avid and sometimes opinionated fan of his grandson’s high school basketball team so much so that they appointed him the team’s honorary grandfather and a brick at the new high school was laid in his honor… Grandpa Hegarty Make A Deposit.   In recent years, he looked forward to his great-grandson Brandon’s hockey games.

Growing up in an immigrant family, he was good Catholic and helped provide for the family by shooting dice on the street corner.  His winnings went immediately to his parents.  He was an excellent crap shooter.  His key to winning was never being greedy.  He and Margaret loved meeting their friends at Foxwoods where he never lost.

Sports came easily to Bill and boy was he great at them.  He was a tremendous basketball and baseball player.  He held season tickets to the Golden Gloves for many years until Margaret needed him more.  He loved following all sports particularly his hometown Boston Teams. 

Most of all, Bill will be remembered for his broad smile, cheerful disposition, gift of gab, and the twinkle in his eye. 

He is survived by four children and their spouses, Carol Fawcett and her husband Timothy, William Hegarty and his wife Marguerite, Karen Harte and her husband William, and Nancy Kaleski and her husband Michael; four grandchildren, Jennifer Hegarty, Joseph Hegarty and his wife Samantha, Amanda Dillon and her husband Christopher, and Katherine Harte; three great-grandchildren, Brandon Callahan, Tyler Dillon, and Colby Dillon; nieces, nephews and many dear friends.  He was also pre-deceased by his siblings, Michael, Thomas, John and Kathleen Hegarty.

Visitations will be held on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the TYNGSBOROUGH FUNERAL HOME, 4 Cassaway Dr., Tyngsborough. Funeral Wednesday morning beginning at the Funeral Home at 8:15 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. at the Immaculate Conception Parish, 216 E. Dunstable Rd., Nashua, NH.  The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the church website at http://www.iccnashuanh.org  Committal Services including Military Honors will take place later in the afternoon at 2 p.m. at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, Boscawen, NH.  In lieu of flowers, those wishing may make a donation in his memory to the American Cancer Society at http://www.cancer.org

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