Stoughton to Honor Pair of Veterans with Memorial Square Dedications

As part of its Memorial Day Festivities, Stoughton will dedicate two Memorial Squares on Monday, May 27.

At 1 p.m., the intersection of Pleasant Street and Lincoln Street will be dedicated to John O’Hare.

And, at 1:45 p.m., the intersection of Park Street and Belmont Avenue will be dedicated to Vincent Healey.  

A Memorial Square dedication for Herbert Joel Lindelof, at the corner of Lindelof Avenue and Kay Way, was also scheduled for Memorial Day, but will instead take place on Veterans Day.

The following is a biographical sketch of each recipient:

John O'Hare

Mr. O'Hare was a WWII veteran who served in campaigns in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He was a member of the 82nd Airborne.

O'Hare, a lifelong resident of Stoughton, graduated from Stoughton High in 1941.

After retiring at age 57 due to medical issues, he became deeply involved with youth sports in Stoughton, with years of coaching, serving on league boards, and even writing articles with stats for the players and their families, while reporting on youth sports.

John's computer has a wealth of information on all Stoughton sports from 1913-2013, according to his obituary. 

"Mr. O’Hare's commitment to the youths of our community during his years of voluntary service certainly meets the standards set by the [Memorial Square Dedication] Policy," Veterans Agent Mike Pazyra said.

O'Hare passed away January 16, 2013 at the age of 89. 

Vincent Healey

Mr. Healey served four years in the Navy during WWI from 1917 to 1921. He was awarded the WWI Victory Medal for his service.

Heaely was an active member of the Stoughton VFW Post 1645 for over 30 years.

He was instrumental in establishing scholarship programs at the VFW and also helped build an addition onto the building.

Healey was also a strong advocate for veteran's housing and helped many vets find homes.

"Mr. Healey was a strong advocate for helping these vets, not only in housing but also in helping them navigate the rules of the Veterans Administration and the VA Hospital," Veterans Agent Mike Pazyra noted.

Born in 1895, Healey passed away in February of 1985.