Obituary: George M. Doherty, Choir Member at Saint Paul's Church in Wellesley

George M. Doherty, 85, of Waltham, died Jan. 16, 2014 at his home.

George was born in Boston Sept. 27, 1928, son of the late Bernard and Winifred (Carlin) Doherty, both natives of County Donegal, Ireland. He was raised in Jamaica Plain and was a graduate of Cathedral High School in Boston's South End. After that he attended Bentley School of Accounting, then in Boston and later earned a bachelor's degree in the same subject from Bentley College in 1970, its first year at the new Waltham campus.

During the Korean War he served with the United States Army.

A Waltham resident since 1962, he was an accountant for 41 years for Eastern Gas and Fuel Company in Boston and worked for 20 years as the internal auditor for the Raytheon Credit Union, retiring when he turned 80.

George was an avid sports fan, especially of the Red Sox, Patriots and the New York football Giants. When the two NFL teams met on the field, however, his loyalty to the Patriots never wavered, despite having grown up a Giants fan.

His greatest vocation was George's lifelong love of sacred song. When he was 8 years old, he began singing at his home parish, Our Lady of Lourdes in Jamaica Plain. After that, he sang at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, the mother church of the archdiocese, and later became part of the highly acclaimed choir at Saint Paul's Church in Wellesley. After the family's move to Waltham, George became active at Our Lady's Church where he became a cantor and served as the choir director for more than 15 years.

George is survived by his wife, Dorothy A. (Crowley) Doherty; his children, Margaret W. Keohane and her husband, Daniel, of Waltham and George M. Doherty Jr. and his wife, LeeAnn of Natick; his grandchildren, Dennis Keohane, Kathleen Hines, Megan DePiero, Erin Keohane, Christopher, Lauren and Caroline Doherty and Emily and Maggie Cashman; his great-grandchildren, Finn and Maggie Keohane and Elly, Lyla and Quinn DePiero; his siblings, William Doherty of Quincy and Mary Doherty of Norwood; and many nieces and nephews. He was also a brother of the late Bertha, Bernard, John, Edward and Paul Doherty and Sally d'Entremont.

Burial in Mount Feake Cemetery, Waltham.

Memorial donations may be made to Our Lady's Parish, 920 Trapelo Raod, Waltham, MA 02452.