Dr. Richard Aloysius McGovern, age 100, of Lawrence, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday July, 21, 2015. Dr. McGovern was born on a farm in West Andover in 1914, moved to Lawrence where he lived until 1953 and he purchased a residence in Shawsheen Village, Andover. This beloved family home is registered with the town of Andover, as “The McGovern House, a place of historic residence.” In 1993 he relocated to the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of Lawrence.
Dr. McGovern was educated in the Andover Pubic Schools and attended a two-room school house on North Street, Andover. He later attended and graduated from Punchard High School (now Andover High School), in 1932. In 1936 he passed the Board of Registration in Pharmacy, becoming a pharmacist, and subsequently 1938 founded McGovern’s Pharmacy in Tower Hill, Lawrence -- which was family owned for 40 years.
Always an avid learner, he became interested in medicine and enrolled in medical school. While there and during the summer months he worked at Canobie Lake Park where he fell in love with the big band performances of the likes of Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman. During the calendar school year Dr. McGovern served as a member of the faculty of the Lawrence Evening High School, teaching Chemistry, General Science and Hygiene.
In 1942, Dr. McGovern graduated from Middlesex University Medical School (now Brandeis University) and interned at Jersey City Medical Center and Lawrence General Hospital, Lawrence.
In 1944 and during the height of World War II, he enlisted in the US Army Medical Corps. Dr. McGovern served for two years as a 1st Lieutenant and later as a Captain in the Pacific Campaign being stationed on Guam. He was subsequently deployed to Japan where he assisted with the recovery effort. After his initial separation from Active duty, Dr. McGovern attended Harvard University’s Six-Month Medical Review Course for returning Medical Officers and then served an additional seven years in the Army Reserves. He credited his time in the military as an extraordinary experience which further expanded his medical knowledge by exposing him to cutting edge x-ray techniques and surgeries.
Dr. McGovern began his general medical practice on Lowell Street, Lawrence in 1947. He later restricted his medical practice into the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN). Dr. McGovern continued to actively practice a full-range of OB/GYN until 1987. During this time he is noted to have delivered some 15,000 children.
Dr. McGovern is also known for being among the first obstetricians in the Merrimack Valley to allow fathers to be present in the delivery room. He was also among the first to encourage women to use the Lamaze technique, a training program in natural childbirth.
He practiced medicine at Lawrence General Hospital from 1947 to 1965 and then restricted his practice to Caritas Holy Family Hospital (formerly Bon Secours Hospital) from the day that the hospital opened its doors until he retired fully from medicine in 2006.
In 1987 he semi-retired and began working at the Woman’s Health Care Clinic and the STD clinic at the Caritas Holy Family Hospital. In 1997, he began working at the Holy Family Hospital Breast Care Clinic and the Woman’s Health Network Clinic.
He was proud of his contributions to the local medical community and thought very highly of his fellow physicians. He was also very proud of the high level of care and dedication of the nurses that he worked with during his private practice, his time working in the hospital and during his clinic care.
In addition to his professional career, Dr. McGovern served as a member of the Lawrence Housing Authority from 1949-1953; President of the Essex North Medical Society 1968-1969; Member of the Mass Medical Association since 1948 and was recognized as a 50-year member in 1998; Member of the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Association; and was elected to the Lawrence City Democratic Committee for District E.
Additionally, in 2003 he was recognized by Holy Family Hospital and was given the St. Luke Award “Recognizing over 50-years of healthcare, particularly his contributions to clinical practice in OB/GYN, and his care for the poor and the underserved in the community.” He was a kind soul who lived his life and practiced medicine without regard to creed, religion, ethnicity or financial standing. He was also known for having basic conversational proficiency in many different languages, and found pride in being able to surprise new patients with speaking a few words to them in their native tongues.
Dr. McGovern was a music lover, and avid reader, a great dancer, poetry reciter, Irish Story teller and world traveler. He was also known to send article clippings to “everyone,” including politicians, and was referred to fondly by at least one US Senator as “his pen pal.” Up until age 91, he was known to walk two miles a day and work in his garden. He believed in life-long learning, loved reading medical journals and kept apace of the latest innovations.
He was pre-deceased by his parents: Sylvester Aloysius & Catherine Agnus McKallagat McGovern; and his siblings: Sylvester Arthur McGovern, Kathleen Agnus McGovern Driscoll, Mary Eileen McGovern Arsenault. He was also pre-deceased by his sister-in-law Katherine Hastings and his son-in-law George Johnson.
Dr. McGovern was married and lived at home with his second wife Edna I. McGovern and was pre-deceased by his first wife Mary E. Hastings McGovern. Dr. McGovern leaves children: Beth McGovern; Susan McGovern and her Children Devon, Gryffin, and Kelson; Ellen Stanfield and her husband Marc and their children, Hayley and Alexa her fiancé Thunder Goode; and Richard A. McGovern Jr and his son R.A. McGovern III; Amy McGovern and her husband Christopher Lathrop and their son Connor; and step son Leo Lamontagne and his wife Deborah and their children Leo and his wife Meghan, and Matthew and his girlfriend Beth Mitro.
Dr. McGovern leaves his sister-in-law Lorraine Gervais and her husband Albert of Lawrence. He also leaves many loving nephews and nieces, cousins and wonderful colleagues and friends. Dr. McGovern also leaves extended family in Ireland. And over the past few years, since losing his eye sight, he became close friends to Bill Collins, Theresa Homewood and Adurey Provecal who shared his interest in literature and who all spent countless hours reading to him.
Per his request, the family will not be hosting viewing hours or a formal funeral. Donations in Dr. McGovern’s memory can be made to the Caritas Holy Family Hospital; Hospice of Merrimack Valley; or the Veteran’s Association via the Bedford VAMC, attention: Voluntary Service Office staff. Arrangements are under the direction of the John Breen Memorial Funeral Home, Inc., Lawrence and North Andover, Massachusetts.