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June 17, 2017

Judith M. DeFilippo

Judith A (Murphy) DeFilippo  of Hingham was born in Boston on March 4, 1941 and died unexpectedly on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at 76 years of age.  She was a graduate of North Quincy High School with the class of 1958, where she was on the committee that created the beloved mascot “Yakoo.”  Judy went on to graduate from Bridgewater State College in 1962 and in 1963 she married her husband of 54 years, Gerald J. DeFilippo.  She continued her education and received a masters in TESOL from Boston University in 1976.

Judy taught third grade in Stamford and Naugatuck, Connecticut before becoming a stay-at-home mom until her children entered public schools.  She then taught English as a Second Language (ESL) at the Northeastern University English Language Center for over 20 years.  She was the past President of MATSOL, the Massachusetts Association of Teachers to Speakers of Other Languages, she supervised student teachers getting master’s degrees in ESL from Simmons College and taught a methods course at Simmons.   Judy trained international teaching assistants who needed to improve their English skills.

An author and co-author of twelve English as a Second Language (ESL) textbooks including “Skill Sharpeners,” “Grammar Plus,” and “Dictations for Discussion” used all over the world.  Some books were targeted for the immigrant/refugee communities, some for high school students, and others for pre-university intensive ESL programs. In 2015 she was honored with the Dr. George A Weygand Award for outstanding dedication to the Bridgewater Alumni Association where she was actively involved as she was with her NQHS alumni and reunion committee.

Judy traveled extensively around the world including a heartwarming trip to Norway where her maternal grandparents were born.  She also travelled to both Russia and Israel where she was invited to share her teaching methods.  She was the daughter of  the late Kenneth F and Vicki (Newman) Murphy of Quincy and Vineyard Haven.  Judy frequented the Hingham Public Library where she would emerge embracing  an armload of mystery novels, favoring British authors for their detailed characterizations.   She was a wonderful cook, a gracious host, a proud, loving grandmother, a delightful auntie, an incredibly amazing mother and wife, a loving sister, a faithful friend, a dedicated teacher and an extremely generous person.  She lived life globally, her loss will be felt around the academic world and in the hearts of her many friends and loved ones forever.

Judy is survived by her husband Jerry, son John, daughter Marisa and her husband Jeff Peek of Sudbury and their two children Courtney and Connor. She also leaves sister Lois Doherty, her husband Bill of Rockland, Pam Peterson of Greenland, NH. and a brother Frank Murphy and his wife Carol of Santa Fe, NM., fifteen nieces and nephews and many, many cherished friends, colleagues and former students.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the visiting hours on Thursday, June 22 from  4-8 PM in the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home, 21 Emerald Street, (off Central St.) Hingham  A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home on Friday at 10:30am.  Burial in High Street Cemetery, Hingham

In lieu of flowers, there is a North Quincy High School Scholarship fund established in Judy’s name to honor her.  Donations can be made payable to: 
NQHS Class of 58 Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Rockland Trust, 381 Centre Ave., Abington, MA 02351, in memory of Judith M. DeFilippo.  Donations can also be made to UNICEF, your local library, or the charity of your choice and please pay forward her kindness by doing a kind gesture for someone else.