Donald James McNamara

Durham New Hampshire- Mr. Donald James McNamara, retired Lieutenant Colonel, USAF of Durham New Hampshire passed away in his home on June 24 after valiantly fighting a battle with cancer at the age of 81. At his passing he was surrounded by his beloved family. A native of Waltham, Massachusetts, he was born on 30 December 1926, the son of John J. & Bertha (Douglass) McNamara. At age 16, he was the head lifeguard at Walden Pond before enlisting in the United States Army. During World War II, he was trained as an airborne infantryman. He attended training at Norwich University before joining the 511th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 11th Airborne Division in Japan in 1945 where he earned the Expert Infantryman Badge. After leaving the Army, he attended Harvard University and joined the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. Graduating in 1951, he embarked on an Air Force career as a navigator that took him all over the country and the world. His service included combat tours in Korea and subsequently in Vietnam where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He retired from the military in 1975 and settled in Durham, New Hampshire where he began a real estate appraisal business. His curiosity and thirst for knowledge were boundless; throughout his life he avidly pursued education and received advanced degrees from George Washington University and the University of New Hampshire. He continued taking college classes well into his 70's. His was a life well lived and well spent. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Helen Anne (Brophy), also a native of Waltham, his children; Brian S. McNamara and his wife Adriana, of Dover, NH, Thomas D. and his wife Joanne of Jacksonville, NC; Erin E. and her husband John Mullaney of Brewster; Dennis J. McNamara of Wells, ME; Patrick L. McNamara & his wife Kelly Moulton of Cape Neddick, ME; Timothy J. and his wife Kimm of Durham, NH; and Steven K. McNamara and his wife Linda Cabeca of Waltham, MA; his daughters-in-law Priscilla Abbott and Jane McNamara, 21 grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. His family was his proudest accomplishment. Don was preceded in death by his 9 siblings, his sisters, Dorothy McCullough, Alice Love, Helen Burns, and Margaret Pear, and his brothers John E., Francis X., Lawrence A., Henry F. and Richard D. McNamara The Funeral will be held on Monday at 10 a.m. from the Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street ( Rte.20), Waltham followed by a Funeral Mass in Saint Mary's Church, 133 School Street Waltham at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Mount Feake Cemetery, Waltham. Visiting hours are on Sunday from 2-5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the McNamara family asks that you offer your prayers to all those that serve in our Armed Forces or please make a memorial donation to the Disabled American Veterans at www.dav.org. or to P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301