James Merloni

James Merloni Jr., 88, of Ashland passed away at his home surrounded by his family on Aug. 3. He was the husband of Marilyn (Hogan) Merloni for 68 years. Born in Framingham, he was the son of the late James Merloni Sr. and Louise (Luisetti) Merloni.

James was a member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 609 since 1952 and was the longtime administrator of the New England Laborers’ Training Trust Fund located in Hopkinton.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn (“Mickey”), and his children, Lynn Merloni-Abelli and husband Chris of Ashland, Dr. Christopher J. Merloni and wife Susan of Ashland, and James Merloni III and wife Kristen of Ashland; as well as eight grandchildren, Amy Wainwright, Jason and Peter Walker, and Alexander, Nicole, James, Dante and Alexis Merloni; four great-grandchildren, Katelyn, Silas, Aiden and Noelle; a brother, Victor Merloni of Southboro; a sister, Elizabeth Minnucci of Southboro; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m. in St. Cecilia’s Church, 54 Esty Street, Ashland, followed by cremation. Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 2-7 p.m. in the Matarese Funeral Home, 325 Main Street, Ashland.

In lieu of flowers, donations in James’ name may be made to St. Cecilia’s Parish, 54 Esty Street. Ashland, MA 01721, or Bethany Health Care Center, Advancement Department, 97 Bethany Road, Framingham, MA 01702 (please include the honoree’s name on the memo line), or Salmon Hospice, 37 Birch Street, Milford, MA 01757.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.