Dennis J. McAvoy, 70, of Andover, passed away in his home on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 after a battle with ALS surrounded by his wife Helga, son Patrick as well as siblings and friends.
The son of the late Edward and Helen McAvoy, Dennis was born in Lawrence in 1946 and spent his childhood growing up on Prospect Hill. He graduated from the Haverhill Trade School in 1965, after which he worked for a short period of time as a plumber. He joined the United States Air Force in October 1965 and retired in August 1994 having served 28 ¾ years of active duty. During his time in the military; he served in Vietnam, Azores, Portugal, Berlin, Bitburg, Sembach and Ramstein Germany as well as several locations in the United States. During his military career, he attained the rank of Chief Master Sergeant and earned a Bachelor of Science and Master’s Degree in Business and Management. He was also awarded the 1981 Goddard Award for outstanding contribution to military engineering.
After his military retirement, Dennis moved to Germany to take a job at the US Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. He worked for 12 years in the Landstuhl Hospital Facility as Fire Marshall. Finally in 2011, he retired and moved back to Massachusetts.
Dennis met and married his wife Helga in Berlin, Germany in 1970. They were married for 46 years. Dennis was a loving caring husband and father and was also a great provider. He loved playing Yahtzee with his wife on a daily basis. Dennis was also an avid Sudoko player. He always had projects going on around the house and yard. Dennis along with his wife and son helped tear down the Berlin Wall with hammers on November 9, 1989. He and his wife had a condo in the village of Landstuhl, Germany and divided their time between homes.
Besides his wife Helga, Dennis is survived by one son, Patrick J. McAvoy, a grandson Julian McAvoy, as well as his siblings: Louise Dimario of Lawrence, MA, Jeanne Taylor of Derry, NH, Nancy Olisky and her husband Dennis of Georgetown, MA, Karen Deshaies and her husband Robert of Salem, NH, Susan Fitzgerald and her husband Lawrence of Roswell, GA, Wayne McAvoy and his wife Nancy of Lowell, MA, and Cheryl Lochmann and her husband Riney of Plain City, OH.
Family and friends are invited to call on Sunday, November 6, 2016 from 2 to 6 P.M. at the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., 122 Amesbury St., Lawrence, MA, with a funeral service to follow at 6:00 P.M. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Dennis’s name to the ALS Association, Massachusetts Chapter, 315 Norwood Park South, 1st Floor, Norwood, MA 02062, or go to [email protected]. To send and online condolence or for more information, please go to www.breenfuneralhome.com.