James Robert “Bob” Kilduff died with his daughters at his side Friday, Jan. 9.
He was born in Boston and lived in West Roxbury and Roslindale. He was a parishioner of Holy Name Church during his childhood in Roslindale and graduated from Mechanic Arts High School in Boston. He had many stories about playing his trombone with the Boston College Marching Band during football games held in Fenway Park.
He was a proud veteran, serving with the US Navy from July 1, 1943 until June 28, 1946. He entered the service at Dartmouth College. After one year, he entered flight training in Memphis, Tenn. and obtained the rank of lieutenant junior grade. He served as an air navigator on cargo planes delivering supplies from California to Honolulu. He also navigated missions patrolling the Aleutian Islands when stationed at the Naval Air base in Adak, Alaska.
Upon his return from the service, he lived in Scituate where he personally built a house. Recently, he was able to visit that house and meet the family living there, a thrill for both parties.
Kilduff’s first date with Helen Sullivan at Hampton Beach’s Club Casino resulted in a lifelong romance, and they married in October of 1953 and raised three daughters. He worked for IBM for 40 years, starting as a typewriter repairman and ending as a systems engineer, working on mainframe computers. During his career he held positions in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Maryland and Indiana before retiring from his final post in Hartford, Conn.
He is predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Helen (Sullivan) Kilduff. He will be dearly missed by his three daughters and their families: Kathleen (Kilduff) Michelsen and her husband Martin of South Windsor, Conn., and their four children Kevin, Steven, Kelsey and Tessa; Judy (Kilduff) Mulligan and her husband Jeff of Merrimack, N.H., and their three children Ryan, Jennifer and Dan; Cindy (Kilduff) Stimson, her husband Robert of Hingham and their two children, Madeline and William.
Calling hours will be Monday, Jan. 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 52 Salem Street, Bradford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday, Jan. 13th at 11 a.m. in the Sacred Hearts Church, 165 South Main Street, Bradford. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Interment will follow in the Elmwood Cemetery, Bradford. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Kilduff’s memory to the charity of one’s choice.