George McLaughlin George was a long time friend of mine. I was privileged to be at Kagnew at the same time as George and saw him play in the band Gaud many times at the clubs. George was very helpful when the band/music pages were added to the site, a great lover of music. We stayed in touch over the years quite a bit and I will miss him--Rick McLaughlin, George George's Obituary, posted MEDFIELD: George F. McLaughlin passed away on Monday, January 25, 2016 at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston surrounded by his wife of thirty-two years, Frances I. Wheat, and his beloved son, Ryan W. McLaughlin of Brighton, MA. He was sixty-eight years-old. George was born at the 250th Medical Station Hospital in Regensburg, Germany to the late William Aloysius McLaughlin and wife, Anna Katherine McLaughlin. George spent his childhood on Cape Cod, attended Boston College High School, and went on to graduate cum Laude from Boston College with a B.A. in Psychology and an emphasis on group process and sociology. Later in life, he went on to graduate from a State Agency Management Program at the University of Massachusetts. Immediately following his graduation from college, George enlisted in the United States Navy (Vietnam Era Veteran). He spoke quite fondly of his assignment at Kagnew Station in Asmara, Eritrea, and made many lasting friendships there and throughout his service. George served as Radioman Second Class, received the National Defense Service Medal, and was honorably discharged from the service in 1973. George’s professional career encompassed multiple community-focused positions. In public service, he served as a licensed social worker, a community organization/development specialist, a community liaison, and finally, as the assistant director of a local area office. After his retirement from the state, he was employed as the director of TRANSACCESS, a Project Coordinator with the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and most recently as a Workforce Development Director for Centro Latino. Most importantly, George was a family man. He married his wife in 1983, became a devoted father to their son, Ryan, who was born in 1984, and shortly thereafter purchased a family home in Medfield where he and his wife remained throughout the rest of his life. He took great joy in caring for his land, watching over the many animals roaming around his home and in ensuring that the birds were well-fed. Often he could be seen sitting on the porch as hummingbirds hovered and flew around him, and his home was well-known for the year-round flamingoes. George loved the ocean and frequently vacationed on the southern coast of Maine. He also enjoyed watching and rooting for the Red Sox and Patriots, and thoroughly enjoyed their recent success after years of tragic losses. He also loved playing and watching golf, and coached several of his son’s sports teams. George volunteered his time to chaperoning school field trips and to the Troop 10 Boy Scouts in Medfield with his son. He made a dedicated effort to keep in touch with childhood, military and work friends, and spoke with them on the phone frequently. Of all his hobbies, his greatest passion was his love of music. He sang, wrote songs, played his guitar or piano, and had an ear for really good music. Shortly after George’s death, a letter arrived at the house from an old friend who wrote: “although the instrument is laid to rest, the music upon the air remains”. Our son would agree to this too, since he inherited his passion for music, singing and playing guitar, and because some of George’s proudest moments were watching Ryan perform. In addition to his wife and son, George leaves behind a brother, William A. McLaughlin and his wife Patricia of Fernandina Beach, FL; a niece, Marianne MacDonald; and, nephews, Michael and Patrick McLaughlin. Burial with military honors took place on Monday, February 8th at 11:00 a.m. at the Massachusetts National Cemetery on Connery Avenue in Bourne, MA.