Maurice E. Foley

Maurice Eugene Foley, 90, of Hingham, MA, formerly of Lexington, KY, and Wellesley, MA, peacefully passed away Sunday, July 17, 2022. Son of Miriam Early and Maurice James Foley, and brother of the late Suzanne (Leo) Joncas of Troy, NY, and of John Emmet (Pat) Foley of Longmeadow, MA; devoted husband of the late Joan O’Neill Foley; and loving father of Anne (Robert) Rielly of Leavenworth, KS; Mary Kate (Jeff Lucas) of Cambridge, MA; Peter (Beth) of Castle Pines, CO; Margaret (Richard Rand) of West Lafayette, IN; Christopher (Kathryn Tremblay) of Somerville, MA; Elizabeth (Christopher Manzo) of Louisville, KY; the late Rebecca Foley-Gwiasda; son-in-law William (Laura Donnelly) Gwiasda of Chicago, IL; and Jessica (Bret) Ripley of Lexington, KY. Proud grandfather of Robert (Emma), Patrick (Amanda) and Michael Rielly; Caleb and Elizabeth Lucas-Foley; Sarah, Colin and Megan Foley; Elaine Rand; Sheamus Foley; Marie Manzo; and Rebecca and John Ripley. He is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Maurice was born June 27, 1932, in Cohoes, New York. He graduated from LaSalle Institute in Troy, NY, and credited the school’s Jesuit brothers for instilling in him the attention to precision he carried into every task he performed. He earned a BA in Art Education and a Master’s in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He served as an active duty and reserve naval intelligence officer for 25 years. Captain Foley’s 1978 naval retirement ceremony took place on the USS Constitution at the Navy Yard in Charlestown, MA.

He met his wife Joan in high school when they acted together in a school play. They married in 1956 in Troy, NY, then were stationed in Hawaii until 1958 when Maurice fulfilled his Naval OCS active-duty requirement. In the 12 years that followed, Maurice and Joan continued to raise their growing family, moving from Brooklyn to White Plains then Rome, NY. In 1971, they moved to Wellesley, MA, where their family of eight children grew up and attended public school. In 1986, they relocated to Lexington, KY, before returning east to Linden Ponds in Hingham, MA, in 2008. The couple celebrated 53 years of marriage before Joan’s passing in 2010.

Following a brief time teaching undergraduate art classes at Pratt, Maurice worked in a variety of management and consulting roles within the then-new field of geographical information systems (GIS). Throughout his work life, Maurice traveled around the globe to pioneer the adoption of GIS. In his years at Raytheon, Charles T. Main, and Plangraphics, Inc., he relished the interweaving of both technical and visual aspects of computer mapping and promoted the importance of clear written expression among technical professionals.

A devout Catholic, Maurice was an active member of the churches he attended, including St. Paul’s Parish in Wellesley, MA; Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington, KY; and Resurrection of Our Lord Church in Hingham, MA, where he served on the parish council. Throughout his adult life he was a Eucharistic minister and frequent lector, whose baritone voice resoundingly expressed his faith.

Maurice was an artist and craftsperson in every sense of the word. He appreciated great design and created art for both his home and local exhibitions. He produced original silkscreens to commemorate significant family events, and his annual Christmas print was a highly anticipated and treasured gift of the Christmas season. In addition to painting, printmaking, collaging, and drawing, he designed and built most of the furniture for his family’s house, much of which continues to be used by his grandchildren today.

Maurice enjoyed the logic of a good game of Mastermind and thoughtful games of chess. He could be found working a crossword or Sudoku with a cup of coffee. He was an avid runner and frequently expounded on the health benefits of exercise. An enthusiastic reader, he happily donated time to repairing books at the Hingham Public Library for several years in honor of his wife’s love of books. Both expertly analytical and articulate, he could be trusted for a good discussion on history, politics and issues of social justice, among other wide-ranging topics.

At once a towering and humble presence, Maurice was dutiful and hardworking in every aspect of his life and strived to live in faith, hope, and love. He quietly donated blood and plasma on a monthly basis until his early 80s and gave generously to others in need.

Maurice passed peacefully after enduring the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and remained a captain until the end.

The family sincerely thanks the staff of Rose Court at Linden Ponds for their wonderful care during his final years. 

Visiting hours will be held Sunday, July 24, 2022, from 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. at Pyne-Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald St., Hingham, MA. A funeral mass will be held Monday, July 25, 2022, at Resurrection Parish in Hingham, MA. Donations in memory of Maurice may be made to Feeding America or Linden Ponds Student Scholarship Fund. Contributions to the scholarship fund can also be made by check, payable to Linden Ponds (noting “Scholarship Fund” in the memo), and mailed to Linden Ponds, Philanthropy Office, 203 Linden Ponds Way, Hingham, MA, 02043.