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The Honorable David A. McLaughlin Veteran
December 09, 2017

Obituary

The Honorable David Anthony McLaughlin, age 78, of New Bedford died peacefully on December 9, 2017, after a series of illnesses. He is survived by his loving wife Mary Alice (Stephens) McLaughlin and his children and their spouses: Maura McLaughlin and her husband Ryan Ferrara of Arlington, MA; Jeanne McLaughlin of Manhattan, NY; Daniel McLaughlin and his wife Cathy of Nolanville, TX; Michael McLaughlin and his wife Devonna of Portland, OR; Joseph McLaughlin and his wife Cara of Stowe, VT; and Sarah McLaughlin of Brooklyn, NY. David is also survived by his grandchildren Jackson, Nicholas, Alison, Neil, David Kenneth, Catherine, Claire, Aislin and David Michael; by his sister Elaine (McLaughlin) Crowley and her husband Francis; and by his nieces, nephew and cousins.
Originally from Jamaica Plain, David graduated from Boston College High School and Boston College. David served proudly in the United States Marine Corps, on active duty from 1962 to 1965 (1st Battalion, 8th Marines, 2nd Marine Division) and in the reserves until 1971. He initiated, with a few other New Bedford Marines, the annual local celebration of the birthday of the Marine Corps, which is now attended by hundreds of Marines each year.
In 1965, David entered Boston College Law School, where he met Mary Alice Stephens, a fellow first year law student. After being partners (and finalists) in the school’s moot court competition, David and Mary Alice were married in 1968.
David had a prolific and esteemed career as an attorney and a judge. In 1976 he was a founding partner of the New Bedford-based McLaughlin and McLaughlin (with Mary Alice); the firm later became McLaughlin, Folan and McGlone, P.C. He was elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers, a group comprising the top 1% of trial lawyers in the English-speaking world. Among his legal accomplishments, the one of which he was perhaps most proud was the decision of the Honorable William G. Young in the case of “In Re: Acushnet River and New Bedford Harbor” 712 F.Supp. 994 (D.Mass. 1989), affirming the central importance of the right to a trial by jury “to our daily freedoms and our political life.”
Outside of work, David loved to cheer on “The Littlest O’s”, the New Bedford Little League Orioles team that his law firm sponsored for 15 years. He served on the board of the United Way, provided pro bono legal services and donated his time in legal education. He was a loving father and grandfather.
In 1999, David was appointed to serve as a Justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court. His favorite moments in this role came in presiding over naturalization ceremonies for new U.S. citizens, where he often reminded participants that his own parents had been immigrants.
David is predeceased in death by his parents Daniel and Nora (Mulrennan) McLaughlin; his sister, Margaret; his cherished cousin Anne, who was raised by his parents and was like a sister, and his nephew, John Wiswell.
Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Thursday, December 14 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park Street, New Bedford. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 15 at the Saint Lawrence Martyr Church, 565 County Street in New Bedford. Burial with military honors will follow at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne at 12:45 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Veterans Transition House, Southeastern Massachusetts Veterans Housing Program, Inc., 20 Willis Street, New Bedford, MA 02740, www.vetshouse.org. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.

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Saunders-Dwyer Funeral Homes
495 Park Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-994-0100