Obituary for John Howard Paasch
John Howard Paasch a long time resident of Chelmsford passed away on January 24, 2021.
John was born in Buffalo, New York on October 26th 1944 to Albertha (Grimm) and Howard John Paasch.
John grew up and went to school in Buffalo and Grand Island, New York, graduating from Tonawanda High school. He continued his education at the University of Buffalo receiving his Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967. In 1967 John moved to Massachusetts to start his career as an Electrical Engineer with Raytheon Company in Bedford, MA. While working for Raytheon John graduated from Northeastern University with a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering. He also worked at the Raytheon facility in Andover, Tewksbury, Wayland and Sudbury Massachusetts. Throughout John’s thirty-seven year career working for Raytheon on the Sparrow and Hawk Missile Systems as an Integration Engineer he would travel to Point Magu and China Lake California, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Huntsville, Alabama, Germany and Crete, Greece.
John was diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s Microglobulinemia a rare form of lymphoma in 2004 and retired one year later. During the past sixteen and a half years he has been active in helping other people with his disease through his participation with the International Waldentroms’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF). He would travel to area hospitals distributing informative materials for the IWMF as well as working at their yearly conference.
John enjoyed taking care of his fish pond and a little gardening. He also enjoyed exploring the coastal and country roads of New England in his VW convertible always with a stop to explore a new or familiar town, a new or familiar restaurant, farm stand, orchards for picking apples and peaches, or a picnic by the water. He also enjoyed entertaining his family and friends and was a very kind, and generous husband, brother, brother in law, and friend. We all will miss him.
He is survived by his partner and wife of 54 years Penelope Abraham Paasch, his brother Mark Paasch of Grand Island, New York, sister in law Linda Paasch Williamson, of Middleburg, PA, sister in law Judith Abraham and her wife Jean Williams of Williamsburg, MA, sister in law Alexandra Abraham Walter and her husband Charles of Arlington, VA, brother in law Harry Abraham of Billerica, MA and his partner Margaret Quinlan of Quincy, MA, sister in law Stephanie Gillies of Edwards, Colorado, sister in law Nadine Roberts and her husband Norman of Crossville, TN, , brother in law Stephen Grace and his wife Donna of Londondery, NH, brother in law Emil Abraham and his partner Donna of Littleton, CO, brother in law Sumner Joe Abraham and his wife Caroline of Port Orange, FL. He is also survived by Aunt Mary Shaheen as well as numerous cousins and nieces and nephews.
Anyone interested in making donations may do so to: International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF), 6144 Clark Center Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34238 or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), PO. 12268 Newport New, VA 23612. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Blake Chelmsford Funeral Home, 24 Worthen St., Chelmsford. Due to gathering limitations, his funeral service and interment will be held privately by family invitation only.
John was born in Buffalo, New York on October 26th 1944 to Albertha (Grimm) and Howard John Paasch.
John grew up and went to school in Buffalo and Grand Island, New York, graduating from Tonawanda High school. He continued his education at the University of Buffalo receiving his Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering in 1967. In 1967 John moved to Massachusetts to start his career as an Electrical Engineer with Raytheon Company in Bedford, MA. While working for Raytheon John graduated from Northeastern University with a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering. He also worked at the Raytheon facility in Andover, Tewksbury, Wayland and Sudbury Massachusetts. Throughout John’s thirty-seven year career working for Raytheon on the Sparrow and Hawk Missile Systems as an Integration Engineer he would travel to Point Magu and China Lake California, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Huntsville, Alabama, Germany and Crete, Greece.
John was diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s Microglobulinemia a rare form of lymphoma in 2004 and retired one year later. During the past sixteen and a half years he has been active in helping other people with his disease through his participation with the International Waldentroms’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF). He would travel to area hospitals distributing informative materials for the IWMF as well as working at their yearly conference.
John enjoyed taking care of his fish pond and a little gardening. He also enjoyed exploring the coastal and country roads of New England in his VW convertible always with a stop to explore a new or familiar town, a new or familiar restaurant, farm stand, orchards for picking apples and peaches, or a picnic by the water. He also enjoyed entertaining his family and friends and was a very kind, and generous husband, brother, brother in law, and friend. We all will miss him.
He is survived by his partner and wife of 54 years Penelope Abraham Paasch, his brother Mark Paasch of Grand Island, New York, sister in law Linda Paasch Williamson, of Middleburg, PA, sister in law Judith Abraham and her wife Jean Williams of Williamsburg, MA, sister in law Alexandra Abraham Walter and her husband Charles of Arlington, VA, brother in law Harry Abraham of Billerica, MA and his partner Margaret Quinlan of Quincy, MA, sister in law Stephanie Gillies of Edwards, Colorado, sister in law Nadine Roberts and her husband Norman of Crossville, TN, , brother in law Stephen Grace and his wife Donna of Londondery, NH, brother in law Emil Abraham and his partner Donna of Littleton, CO, brother in law Sumner Joe Abraham and his wife Caroline of Port Orange, FL. He is also survived by Aunt Mary Shaheen as well as numerous cousins and nieces and nephews.
Anyone interested in making donations may do so to: International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Foundation (IWMF), 6144 Clark Center Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34238 or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), PO. 12268 Newport New, VA 23612. Visiting hours will be held on Thursday, from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Blake Chelmsford Funeral Home, 24 Worthen St., Chelmsford. Due to gathering limitations, his funeral service and interment will be held privately by family invitation only.