The Swellesley Report

Memorial Resolutions to be presented at Wellesley Annual Town Meeting on April 1

In the past year, Wellesley was saddened by the passing of several of our esteemed citizens. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these individuals who generously shared their time and talents with the Town. During Annual Town Meeting, it is our custom to recognize departed Town Meeting Members with special memorial resolutions. We are sharing these written tributes with all Town Meeting Members. These will be presented in person on our first night of Town Meeting as we remember those who gave so much to our community.

Respectfully submitted by Beth Sullivan Woods, Town Meeting Member, Precinct D

Richard Francis McCarthy

Whereas: The Town of Wellesley was saddened by the death of Richard Francis McCarthy on May 13, 2024, at the age of 83, a long-time resident, friend, and Navy colleague; and

Whereas: Richard grew up in Newton at the end of the Beacon Street extension, attended Newton High School and graduated with honors from Harvard College, and later in 1968 from the Boston University School of Law, first in his class. He practiced law at Bingham, Dana and Gould before opening his own practice in 1974, Willcox, Pirozzolo and McCarthy; and

Whereas: Richard’s law firm had a wide-ranging impact. A former associate lawyer remarked, “Working with Dick was always a pleasure. At a time when there were few women in private law practice, Dick always treated me as a colleague and with respect. He was knowledgeable, capable, considerate and compassionate. It was my privilege to work with him multiple times on a daily basis”; and

Whereas: A dedicated volunteer, Richard served the Town of Wellesley in many capacities: as a Town Meeting Member from 1997-2003, on the Wellesley Celebrations Committee from 1990-1992, and as a member of the Advisory Committee from 1996-1999; and

Whereas: Richard also served his country in the US Navy after college, training as a member of the elite Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), now known as the Navy SEALS, and was stationed stateside and on-board.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this Town Meeting acting on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Wellesley, hereby acknowledge Richard Francis McCarthy’s contribution of life, service and spirit to our Town and offer heartfelt condolences to his brother and sisters, daughters, son, and their families, as well as his many friends; and that this resolution be made part of the Official Proceedings of this Town Meeting and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to his family so his memory may be so ever cherished.

Presented by Salvatore DeFazio III on this 1st day of April, 2025.

Margaret M. Greer

Whereas: The Town of Wellesley was saddened by the death of Margaret M. “Meg” Greer on July 10, 2024, an esteemed citizen of our community and a strong advocate for women’s rights, who made many contributions to the Town of Wellesley, its employees, and its residents; and

Whereas: Meg was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was educated at the University of Michigan where she was a student activist for women especially with regard to personal health and reproductive decisions, continued her education at Harvard Business School and was one of the first women hired by International Business Machine (IBM) where she led a department, and then went on to run her own business; and

Whereas: A tenacious advocate for high quality public education, Meg served as a member of the Wellesley School Committee from 1995-2000 and as a Wellesley Town Meeting Member from 1995-2004; in her later years she advocated for the rights of immigrants, working in support of maintaining the law allowing for access to drivers’ licenses for immigrants; and

Whereas: Meg was an active member of the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church where she served as a Sunday School teacher, a member of the Prudential Committee, and a lay reader; and was a notable presence in the community, admired for her mastery of cooking, tennis, gardening, and bridge, as well as her many years as a Girl Scout leader; and

Whereas: Family was the center of Meg’s life. She was devoted to her husband of 45 years, her two children. and her four grandchildren.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this Town Meeting acting on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Wellesley, expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Margaret M. Greer and publicly acknowledges its appreciate for her significant contribution to our Town and the children of Wellesley, and that this resolution be made part of the Official Proceedings of this Town Meeting and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to her husband Gordon, and her family, so her memory may be so ever cherished.

Presented by Alice Hanlon Peisch on this 1st day of April, 2025.

Virginia “Ginny” Greiman

Whereas: The Town of Wellesley was saddened by the death of Virgina “Ginny” Greiman, on November 15, 2024, after a courageous battle with cancer. An esteemed citizen and dedicated public servant, Ginny made many contributions to our Town and its residents; and

Whereas: A tenacious advocate for education and service, Ginny was a professor at Boston University and at Harvard Law School. She held several high-level appointments for the United States government, including United States Trustee for the US Department of Justice in Washington, DC, and international legal counsel to the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development on privatization projects in Eastern and Central Europe; and

Whereas: Ginny served as a member of Wellesley Town Meeting from 1995 to 2010, and was a state delegate for the National Republican Convention for many years as a dedicated executive member of the Republican Party; and

Whereas: Ginny was a devoted wife and mother, dedicated to her family, her friends, and everyone she influenced in her life as an educator – helping young minds find a new perspective, and striving to teach resilience and independence to her students.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this Town Meeting acting on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Wellesley, expresses its deep sorrow at the passing of Virginia “Ginny” Greiman, a woman powerful in commitment, and publicly acknowledges its appreciation for her significant contributions to our Town and the residents of Wellesley, and that this resolution be made part of the Official Proceedings of this Town Meeting and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to her husband Steve Bergstrom and son Erik, and all her family, so her memory may be so ever cherished. Presented by Jacqui Van Looy on this 1st day of April, 2025.

John L. Saunders

Whereas: The Town of Wellesley was saddened by the passing of John L. Saunders on November 29, 2024, at the age of 91. John was a long-time resident of Wellesley, and a dedicated citizen and family man who served his community and country for many years; and

Whereas: John was a Technical Artillery Specialist 3 in the U.S. Army, a proud member of the Artillery and Guided Missile Center in Fort Sill, Oklahoma during the Korean conflict, and was honorably discharged in 1956; and

Whereas: A long-time member of the Wellesley Veterans Council, John was the financial officer of the Wellesley American Legion Post 72 for many years, helping provide services for Wellesley Veterans and their families in need, and was instrumental in the donation and transfer of the Wellesley American Legion Post 72 property to the Town for the current location of the Tolles Parsons Center/Wellesley Council on Aging facility; and

Whereas: John participated in all Veterans Day, Memorial Day and Flag Day services for over 45 years, and in the 1990s helped organize and run the yearly Wellesley Veterans Memorial Services and the Veterans’ Day Parade. He remained an active member of the Celebrations Committee until his passing, and continued his public service as a member of Wellesley Town Meeting from 1994-1999; and

Whereas: John and his family were dedicated parishioners at Saint James the Great Church in Wellesley and Saint Julia Church in Weston where John served as a Eucharistic Minister; and

Whereas: John was a long-standing member the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic Fraternal Organization that provides aid to its members and their families as well as aid and assistance to individuals with disabilities and others in need.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, that this Town Meeting acting on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Wellesley and its municipal employees, hereby acknowledges John L. Saunders life of outstanding service to our Town and Country, and offers its deepest sorrow and most heartfelt condolences to his surviving family members, daughter JoEllen Saunders Yannis, son Joseph John Saunders, son John Lee Saunders and their families.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this resolution be made part of the Official Proceedings of this Town Meeting and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to the family of John L. Saunders so his memory may be so ever cherished.

Presented by: S. Peter W. Jones, on the 1st day of April, 2025.

Walter Woods

Whereas: The Town of Wellesley was saddened by the death of Walter Woods, on January 2, 2025, at the age of 106, who at the time of his passing was Wellesley’s oldest resident and holder of the ceremonial Boston Post Cane; and

Whereas: A graduate of MIT, Walter was a gifted engineer who served with the US Army in World War II designing airplanes at Langley Field in Virginia. After the war he returned to Boston, enjoying a long career with the MBTA, and moving to Wellesley in 1957, where he shared his wisdom, foresight, planning and regulatory expertise to benefit our Town; and

Whereas: As an influential member of Town government, Walter served on the Board of Public Works for 16 years, including four years as chair; as a Town meeting member for 53 years; and as Town representative to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), a body he helped establish in 1985, and on which he served for 32 years until his 99th birthday. In 1996 Walter worked to help lease 36 acres of Elm Bank land to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, where it continues to be enjoyed by so many today; and

Whereas: Walter was the founding chair of the Annual Wellesley Veterans Parade, started in 1968, and served in that role for 10 years; and

Whereas: Walter was consistently described as a true gentleman and loving father, a winemaker extraordinaire, and a dedicated public servant who served this community with distinction and diligence, and who greatly contributed to the success of the Town and the MWRA. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, this Town Meeting acting on behalf of the citizens of the Town of Wellesley, hereby acknowledge Walter Woods’ contribution of life, service, and spirit to our Town and offer heartfelt condolences to his four children and their families, and the many colleagues and friends who knew him during his long life, and that this resolution be made part of the Official Proceedings of this Town Meeting and a suitable copy of the same be tendered to his family so his memory may be so ever cherished.

Presented by Royall H. Switzler on this 1st day of April, 2025.

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