Shrewsbury – Gary Paul “Jeep” Giofreda, 62, died Saturday, May 31, 2014 in UMass Memorial Medical Center, surrounded by his family and friends, after a long illness. He was born in Worcester, and was the son of the late Ralph and Mary (Hawes) Giofreda of Shrewsbury.
He is survived by his son, Gary Paul Giofreda Jr. and his former wife Jennifer (Simoncini) O’Malley; his brother, Brian Giofreda; his sisters, Susan M. Monaghan and Marianne and her husband Robert O’Brien; a close cousin, Sheryl and her husband Dr. William O’ Connor; an aunt, Margaret Hawes; nieces and nephews, Jenny Hitt, Jillian Doan, Julie Clark, Anthony Andrews, Joshua Adams, Christopher Giofreda, and Alex O’Brien; and many devoted cousins and friends.
Gary served in the United States Army in Vietnam. He became a professional firefighter with the Town of Shrewsbury for over was years.
He was a member of The Brown Square Civic Club, the Biscee Club, and I ATSE Local 96 Stagehands Union. He was an avid outdoorsman, New England sports fan, and gardener. He participated in many rides on his motorcycle, including Rolling Thunder 2006 and the rides for “The Worcester 6.”
The greatest joy in Gary's life was his son.
His funeral was held June 5 from the Britton-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, with a Mass celebrated at St. Anne's Church of Shrewsbury. Burial with military honors followed at Worcester County Memorial Park.
Donations may be made to Support Our Fine Arts Foundation (S.O.F.A.), c/o Burncoat Middle School, 135 Burncoat St., Worcester, MA 01605.
