October 1, 2026
Joseph Lydon Hanley of Rumford, RI died peacefully on Thursday, August 21st at the age of 90 with his family by his side.
Joe grew up in Mattapan, Massachusetts, the oldest of seven children, born to Lucy Hanley (née Lydon) of Wigan, England and John Hanley of Oughterard, Ireland.
He attended St. Angela's Grammar School, Cathedral High School, and received a Bachelor of Business degree from Northeastern University.
Joe served his country in the US Army from 1954-1957. He retired from Federal Products as a Quality Control Engineer in 1999 after 24 years of employment.
Joe was never idle and had a lifelong passion for learning. If he wasn't researching the Civil War and his wife's familial connections to it, you could find him cycling on the backroads of southeastern Massachusetts and tending his gardens. He continued to learn the banjo, a lifelong passion, and took lessons from Matt and Otis, right up until a month before his passing.
Joe was a true gentleman, always offering a cheerful greeting to friends and strangers alike. He was quick to make friends wherever he went. He believed in the value of hard work. This work ethic would often be bestowed upon his children by giving them projects such as building random rock walls and raking the woods. Joe was quirky and quick-witted, which could often be seen in the T-shirts he chose to wear. Above all else, Joe was kind and fiercely loyal to those he loved.
He was married to Frannie Hanley (nee O'Leary) for 47 years. Their marriage was filled with love, joy and humor. Together they had ten children. Patty (Arthur) Clark, Sean Hanley, Kathy (Barry) Low, Joe (Lisa) Hanley, Maryellen Hanley, Michael (Christine) Hanley, Beth (Blake) Udelson, Kevin Hanley, Kristen (Greg Monette) Hanley, Sheilagh (Justin Bourbeau) Hanley. He was the grandfather of 25 well-loved grandchildren, and the brother of John Hanley, Maureen Sweeney, Sheilagh Duffy, Kathleen Perez, Paul Hanley, and Ellen Spector and an Irish army of much-loved nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 27 from 4-7 PM at the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home. 161 Commonwealth Avenue, North Attleboro, MA.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, August 28 at 10:00 AM at St. Mark's Church, 105 Stanley Street, North Attleboro.
Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery, Towne St. North Attleboro.
In lieu of flowers a remembrance may be made to: Institute for the Study of Nonviolence, 265 Oxford Street, Providence, RI 02905.
