Joseph Arthur Burridge
Joseph Arthur Burridge, 87, died
peacefully at his Hamilton residence, surrounded by loved ones, on
Thursday, April 11, 2013. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of
sixty-two years, Mary Anne Cunningham.
Born and raised in Ipswich,
Arthur was the fourth child of the late Vincent William Burridge and
Mary LeBlanc, both originally from Nova Scotia. He attended Ipswich
public schools until his senior year, 1943, when he left just before
graduation, to enlist in the Merchant Marine during WWII. He served
honorably in this unit for four years, traveling to Europe, Turkey,
Russia, India and Africa. One of his memorable missions was being on a
supply ship supporting the Normandy invasion on D-Day.
As a young man returning from
the War, he joined the Carpenter’s Union, following in the footsteps of
his father and older brothers. Shortly thereafter, he met Mary Anne
Cunningham while ice-skating at Weaver Pond in Patton Park; they married
in 1948 and settled in Hamilton. As a skilled carpenter, he worked for
over forty years on numerous residential and commercial properties
throughout Essex County. He retired from active carpentry in 1988, but
he never really put down his hammer, staying active building and fixing
things on his property and always helping friends and neighbors with
projects, up until just a few weeks ago. This past December, the
Carpenter’s Local Union #26 recognized Arthur for his sixty years of
membership.
Arthur and Mary Anne were both
passionate about gardening, yard sales and bird watching; Arthur built
scores of intricate birdhouses in his retirement. Frequent participants
in Farmers Markets in Wenham and surrounding communities, they were
often seen selling their abundant produce from the back of a pick-up
truck. They also faithfully volunteered for over twenty-five years at
the Topsfield Fair, always tending to the Fruit and Vegetable Building.
Arthur was a member of the American Legion, Ipswich Outboard Club and
St. Paul’s Church in Hamilton.
Arthur is survived by his older brother, Jacob Joseph Burridge and his
wife, Marsha of Ipswich, as well as seventeen nieces and nephews. He was
predeceased by his siblings, Rosalie Ames of Florida and J. Philip
Burridge of Ipswich. He leaves behind numerous friends and neighbors
who will dearly miss his kind, generous nature and his Yankee way of
living life to the fullest. His shared dog, Charlie Brown, and his cat,
Annie, also mourn his passing. He was the consummate example of the
saying, “enjoy the little things in life for ultimately those things
matter most”.
Family and friends are invited
to a graveside service at the Hamilton Cemetery on Tuesday, April 23 at
11:00am; a reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, please send
donations in his name to The Topsfield Fair Scholarship Fund, PO Box
134, Topsfield, MA 01983.
