Keohane Funeral Home

Harold S. Crowley Jr., age 87, of Quincy passed away on Sunday, January 28, 2024. Harold was born in Providence, RI, on January 23rd, 1937, the first-born son of the late Harold S. Crowley Sr. & Catherine (Shockroo) Crowley. He spent the first few years of his life as a resident of Bristol, RI, until his family moved briefly to Weymouth and a year later to Quincy where he attended the Quincy Public Schools, graduating in 1954 from Quincy High School. After graduation, he attended and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Northeastern University in 1959 and subsequently with a master’s degree from Northeastern in 1965.

During his junior and senior high school years, he was a carrier for the Quincy Patriot Ledger. During college he was employed as a copy boy in the city-room at the Boston Globe, worked part-time at Grossman’s Garden Center, and finally for three years as a teacher intern at the Lakeside School in Braintree. Beginning in his senior year he was employed as a fifth-grade teacher at Braintree’s Ross School.

Following his graduation from Northeastern and a year teaching, he was commissioned as an officer in the US Army Signal Corp and from 1960-1962 he was a member of the 50th Signal Battalion, XVIII Airborne Corp, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, where he served as the S-4 of the battalion.

Following his discharge from active duty in the Army, he was employed as a teacher in the Quincy Public Schools, teaching 34 years at the Quincy Elementary School, the Snug Harbor School, and finally at the Broad Meadows Middle School before retiring in 1994. During his teaching years, he was actively involved with the Quincy Education Association serving as its president in 1972-73 and in many other offices during his teaching career. He was a life member of the National Education Association, the Massachusetts Teachers Assn., and the National Science Teachers Association.

Following his retirement from teaching in 1994, he was employed for 29 years at a retirement consultant and Coordinator of Retirement Services for the Mass. Teachers Assn. during which he counseled and assisted countless educators from throughout the state on the retirement process.

During his youth he was actively involved in Scouting, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in 1952 and was a staff member at Quincy’s Boy Scout camp, Camp Massasoit, in Plymouth, Mass. He continued to be involved in Scouting later as a Scoutmaster. He also organized and served as President of the Massasoit Campers Assn.

Throughout his adult life, he was actively involved in Quincy’s community affairs. Beginning in his 20s, he indulged his passion for history as a member and director in the Quincy Historical Society. He founded and served as president of the Germantown Heritage Society. He was a member of several historical societies including the Massachusetts Historical Society, Historic New England, the Bostonian Society, the Paul Revere Association, the Friends of the Old South Meeting House, Victorian Society, Boston by Foot, the Bristol (RI) Historical & Preservation Society, Lowell Historical Society, Society for Industrial Archeology, and for more than 50 years a Friend of Old Sturbridge Village. For several years he was a member and chairman of the Quincy Conservation Commission. Following his retirement, he served as the first director of Quincy’s Kids Voting Program and later, as state director, expanded the program into several other Massachusetts towns. He was a member and chairman of the Trustees of the Thomas Crane Public Library and in addition he was among the founders and the first president of the Friends of the Thomas Crane Library. He was most proud of his effort to organize the Friend’s Bookstore and regularly served as a volunteer in the bookstore.

In addition to his many other endeavors, he was an avid reader, particularly of history, as well as being a fervent patron of the theatre. He loved to travel and especially enjoyed his yearly visits to Newfoundland where he enjoyed spending time with his second Canadian family, the Dunnes, who helped him trace his family history at the Ferryland Historical Society.

He was preceded in death, in addition to his loving parents, by his sister Ann Schwarz and brother George Crowley. He is survived by his brother Daniel J. Crowley and many nieces and nephews including: Robin Hallowell of Duxbury, Robert Schwarz of Wareham, Colleen Tavekelian of Plymouth, Brad Schwarz of Wells, ME, Ellen Wakefield of Cotuit, Eddie Crowley of Park City, UT, Laurie Crowley of Braintree, and Tracey Crowley of Weymouth.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Friday, February 2, 2024, 4-7 PM in the Keohane Funeral Home, 785 Hancock St., QUINCY.

His funeral service will be celebrated on Saturday, February 3, 2024, at 10 AM in Keohane Funeral Home, Quincy.

Services will conclude with interment and military honors in Mt. Wollaston Cemetery, Quincy.

Donations in may be sent in Harold’s name to St. Boniface Haiti Foundation, Inc., 400 N Main St., Randolph, MA 02368 or by clicking here, or Ferryland Historical Society C/O Robin Hallowell, 149 Temple St., Duxbury, MA 02332.