Richard Daniel Powderly, Jr.

Richard Daniel Powderly Jr. of Harvard, MA died peacefully after a short illness on September 2, 2024. Born in Concord, MA to Richard and Rita Powderly, he spent his early years in West Acton until he moved to Harvard in 1953.

Upon graduation from The Bromfield School class of 1961, Dick joined the U.S. Navy “to see the world” and wound-up seeing Chelsea, MA where he worked as a corpsman at the Chelsea Naval Hospital. 

Dick found his true vocation initially at P.N. Laggis of Ayer, followed by Gould's Fine Clothing in Acton, where he worked for over 40 years. He derived pride and pleasure in outfitting his customers, ranging from multiple generations of families to high level media and business professionals. Dick formed close, life-long bonds with his beloved coworkers and loyal customers alike. 

Dick truly valued the importance of giving back to the community and proved this through his involvement in town government, St. Theresa’s Parish and as a member of the Harvard Fire Department for over 45 years. 

His friends and family were many, diverse and very important to him. They spanned various groups, and he loved them all. Dick was great with a story, a line, a joke, a shoulder of support, a smile, a drink, a welcome, a favor, a hug, and a sincere generous thank you and of course an “I love you.” 

Predeceased by the love of his life Suzanne (Palmatier) Powderly, Dick is survived by his son Richard Daniel Powderly III (Susan) of Beverly; his daughter Meghan Bates (Gregory) of Horsham, England; his beloved grandchildren: Sacha, Richie, George and Charlotte; sisters Ethel-Rita Blood of Cobleskill, NY and Ruthann Bakun(Jim) of Harvard.

It was his family who brought him the greatest joy. He was a wonderfully kind father to Danny and Meghan. Summer vacations spent in Biddeford, Maine digging for clams and collecting sand dollars are treasured memories. Dick’s love for cooking and enjoying fine food was well-known and shared with his family and large circle of friends. To say that he was proud of his grandchildren is a great understatement. His relationship with Sacha and Richie was something special, having lived together for many years, and he treasured the time spent with them as young adults over a meal or hanging out watching shows together. Dick enjoyed many visits to England to see grandchildren, George and Charlotte, and thanks to the wonders of FaceTime they spoke daily, when he good naturedly poked fun of their funny English accents. Dick never quite got over the loss of his wife Suzanne. One likes to hope that they are now sharing a dance together in heaven. 

The family is welcoming those who would like to pay their respects at a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Benedict’s Abbey, 252 Still River Road, Still River (Harvard) on Thursday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. Interment Bellevue Cemetery, Harvard. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Dick’s name to the Harvard Firefighter-EMS Association, P.O. Box 613, Harvard, MA 01451.

Arrangements by McGaffigan Family Funeral Home, Pepperell.