John 'Jack' P. Boxshus

HOLDEN – John "Jack" P. Boxshus, Sr., 86, formerly of Holden, and a resident of Blaire House, Worcester, a World War II veteran and retired Assistant Vice President of State Mutual Life Assurance Company of America, died on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 in UMass Memorial Healthcare, Worcester after a brief illness.

He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Aldona (Lukshis) Daly-Boxshus of Chapel Hill, NC; two sons, Mark P. Boxshus of Hull and John P. Boxshus, Jr. of Rutland; a daughter, Nancy A. Stone and her husband Christopher M. of Harvard; a stepson, Thomas F. Daly of North Carolina; a sister, Helen Erickson of Lansing, MI; 5 grandchildren, Brittany, Tory, Cameron and Graylan Stone all of Harvard and Tyler Stone of Washington, DC; and several nephews and nieces. He is predeceased by 5 sisters, Anne Lajoie, Nell Dixon, Eva McAdams, Mary Magay and Antionette Luby Gedraitis.

Jack was born in Worcester, the son of Peter and Josephine (Sakalauskas) Boxshus. He graduated from Commerce High School and worked for the Heald Machine Co. in Worcester prior to volunteering for military service in the US Army during World War II. He was stationed with the 129th AAA Gun Battalion as a combat medic in the European Theater of operations, participating in six major military campaigns and was awarded six battle stars.

Mr. Boxshus graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Clark University in Worcester in 1949 and received his MBA from Boston University Graduate School in 1950. Mr. Boxshus joined the State Mutual Life Assurance Co. in 1950 as an assistant office manager in the Mortgage Loan Department. He went on to work in the Office of the President as a planning and research analyst. Later, he became manager of the Pension and Profit Sharing Department. He was promoted to the position of director of the Individual Policy Employee Benefits Plans branch, followed by his subsequent promotion to Assistant Vice President in the Advanced Underwriting Division.

Mr. Boxshus retired from State Mutual Life Assurance Company in 1989. Following his retirement, he became a volunteer business counselor for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). His work as a volunteer business counselor for SCORE Organization helped numerous clients obtain business loans to establish new business ventures and provide needed financing for existing businesses. He regularly helped clients develop business plans necessary for a new or troubled business. He also created promotional publications for the recruitment of SCORE members. He was a member of St. George's Church and its Men's Club, the Greendale Men's Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Clark University Alumni Association and the Boston University Alumni Association. He was one of the initial founders and promoters of the Holden Taxpayer Association in the Town of Holden. He was an avid sailor, cross country skier, cyclist and international traveler. He enjoyed summering on Cape Cod.

The family extends thanks to the staff at Blaire House LTCF and the Critical Care Unit at UMass Memorial Hospital.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend calling hours from 5 to 7 on Friday, March 12th in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street (Rte. 122A), Holden. The funeral for Jack will be held on Saturday, March 13th, from the funeral home with a 10 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial in St. George's Church, 38 Brattle Street, Worcester. Burial will follow in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton. Flowers may be sent or donations can be made to "Britney Gengel's Poorest of the Poor Fund", P.O. Box 355, Rutland, MA 01543.

Website & Guestbook: www.milesfuneralhome.com