Individual Details
George Gorham Palfrey
(Abt 1927 - 10 Feb 2008)
Events
| Birth | Abt 1927 | Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts | |||
| Marriage | Martha Anne MacDonald | ||||
| Death | 10 Feb 2008 | Duxbury, Plymouth, Massachusetts | |||
| Obituary | 20 Feb 2008 | Boston Globe - Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts |  |  |
Families
| Spouse | Martha Anne MacDonald (1926 - 2010) |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Living |
| Child | Ellen D. Palfrey (1957 - 2003) |
| Father | Dr. Francis Winslow Palfrey ( - ) |
| Mother | Lucy Daniel ( - ) |
Notes
Obituary
DUXBURY - George Gorham Palfrey, 80, of Duxbury and Saquish, died Feb. 10. He was the husband of Martha A. Palfrey. He was the son of the late Dr. Francis Winslow and Lucy Daniel Palfrey. Born and raised in Boston, he spent summers in Duxbury where he was an avid sailor and raced at the Duxbury Yacht Club. He attended the Dexter School in Brookline and graduated from the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. He then enlisted, serving with the U.S. Army of Occupation in Germany for almost three years. He attended Harvard College and after a three-year accelerated program graduated with the Class of 1951. He married his childhood sweetheart and sailing companion, Martha A. Macdonald, and they settled in Duxbury in 1952, spending summers at their cottage on Saquish. Mr. Palfrey worked for Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. and Plymouth Cordage Co. for several years, before joining New England Life, where he was employed for almost 30 years. He was a vice president, portfolio manager and Chartered Financial Analyst in the Private Placement Division. After retirement, he and his wife remained in Duxbury and Saquish, but began wintering in Tarpon Springs, Fla. He was an active volunteer, serving in various capacities for The Boston Home, Duxbury PTA, Duxbury Art Association, Duxbury Rural & Historical Society, Boy Scouts, Wildlands Trust, Habitat for Humanity, Project Gurnet and Bug Light, and various town committees. Mr. Palfrey was a dedicated member and enthusiastic volunteer in the Unitarian Universalist churches in Duxbury and Tarpon Springs. He loved being on the water and was an accomplished marine artist, favoring historic clipper ships and schooners. He always found time to tinker with his 20-plus boats, in various stages of disrepair. His happy crew consisted of his wife (captain); his sons John and Peter, and their wives, Debbie (children Chris, Emily and Hannah), and Barbara (children, Alex and Sarah). In addition to his wife, sons and grandchildren, all of Duxbury; he is survived by his sister, Virginia H. Hutton of Rye, N.Y. He was the father of the late Ellen Palfrey and the brother of the late Francis W. Palfrey of Hartford, Conn. A memorial service is being planned for May in Duxbury. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Unitarian Universalist churches of Duxbury or Tarpon Springs, Fla.Endnotes
1. "Palfrey, George Gorham," obituary, The Boston (Massachusetts) Globe, 20 February 2008, p. D10, col. 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 December 2020).