Obituary: Michael Eby, civic-minded attorney and longtime Wellesley resident

Michael Eby, a civic-minded attorney who served for 25 years as an appointed member of Wellesley’s Permanent Building Committee, died on Tuesday, December 16, of complications from Parkinson’s disease caused by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. He was 79.

After graduating from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, Michael enlisted in the U.S. Army and completed basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey. In August 1968, he was sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he trained in artillery. He subsequently chose to attend Officer Candidate School in the infantry and was deployed to Fort Benning, Georgia. After completing OCS—and learning of the high mortality rate among infantry lieutenants—Michael elected instead to deploy to Vietnam as an enlisted artilleryman. He was stationed in Chu Lai, a coastal base just south of the DMZ.

While in Vietnam, Michael decided to take the LSAT in a Quonset hut amid the sound of artillery fire. Entering the Army as an E-1, he was discharged two years later as an E-5.

Upon returning to the United States in 1970, Michael was admitted to Boston University School of Law, where he earned both a J.D. and an LL.M., determined to prepare himself thoroughly for the challenges of a legal career. He began his professional life as an assistant attorney general in the Administrative Law Division of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, serving under Attorneys General Robert H. Quinn and Francis X. Bellotti. In 1976, when reproductive-rights activist William “Bill” Baird challenged the state law requiring parental consent for minors seeking abortions, Michael was part of the legal team that argued—and won—the case for the Commonwealth before the U.S. Supreme Court, “on the wrong side of the issue,” as his wife Jackie later wryly observed.

Michael later spent two years on the regulatory board of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities before entering private practice at the Boston law firm of Gilman, McLaughlin & Hanrahan. He became a partner and built a reputation as a lawyer of integrity—logical, trustworthy, and stubborn, with occasional flashes of flexibility.

Michael and Jackie moved to Wellesley more than 54 years ago, where they raised their family and immersed themselves in local civic life. Drawing on his experience with the state’s Public Utilities Commission, Michael understood that public service required commitment, patience, and countless meetings. He nevertheless took great pride in his many years—often as chair—on Wellesley’s Permanent Building Committee. During his tenure, the committee oversaw the construction of a new high school, completed ahead of schedule and under budget; a new public library; a new police station; Sprague Elementary School; renovations to Town Hall; and the architecturally acclaimed fire station on Route 9. As a member of the board of the Wellesley Country Club, he also played a key role in rebuilding both the clubhouse and pool. Beyond committee rooms and board meetings, Michael coached, refereed, and played soccer in the town he loved.

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to the late Susan Byerly Eby and Ralph Wanner Eby, Jr., Michael grew up in Paradise, Pennsylvania. He attended a one-room schoolhouse through sixth grade, riding his horse there as other children rode bicycles. His paternal grandfather owned and operated the Lancaster County Seed Company, and anyone who admired Michael’s spectacular banks of rhododendrons could see that the family’s green thumb endured.

Michael’s conservative, humble, and reserved demeanor suggested a quiet and serious man. This impression was misleading. He was, in fact, an adrenaline enthusiast who hiked, skied, golfed, played endless soccer, and rode motorcycles—especially his prized Ducati—though he also slowed down to windsurf and sail with family and friends at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

In addition to his wife Jackie, Michael is survived by his daughter, Jenn Satterthwaite, and her husband, Jamie, of Boston; his son, Dr. Joshua Eby, and his wife, Jean, of Charlottesville, Virginia; and his four beloved grandchildren: Danny Satterthwaite of Chicago, Illinois; Maggie Satterthwaite of Boston; and Brader and Izzy Eby of Charlottesville. Known affectionately as “PopPop,” he will be deeply missed. He is also survived by his sister, Nancy Curtis of Seattle, Washington, and his brother, Peter Eby of Huntsville, Alabama.

The Eby family extends heartfelt thanks to Russell Hyland, Michael’s devoted personal caregiver; Maggie Curtain, the nurse practitioner on his VA Home-Based Primary Care team; and Dr. Ornella Dubaz, his neurologist at the Veterans Administration, all of whom formed meaningful connections with him and brought comfort in his final days. They also gratefully acknowledge the extraordinary care provided by the VA Home-Based Primary Care team and Home Base, the national nonprofit founded by the Boston Red Sox and Massachusetts General Hospital to support veterans and their families.

Donations in Michael Eby’s name can be made to Home Base on its website: homebase.org. A celebration of his life will be held at a future date.

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