John Kirby

John J. “Jack” Kirby Jr., 89, of Milford and formerly of Bellingham and Hopkinton, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2026, at Milford Regional Medical Center, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of the late Janet V. (Copeland) Kirby, who predeceased him in 2007.

Born in Brookline, Jack was a son of the late John J. Kirby Sr. and Mary (Linehan) Kirby. He was raised and educated in Brookline and went on to attend Northeastern University.

Jack proudly served his country in the U.S. Army, attaining the rank of private first class from 1959-61.

Before his retirement, Jack worked for many years as a computer technician at RCA. In the final decade of his career, he repaired computers for the Harvard Kennedy School.

In recent years, he attended Chapel of the Cross in Westborough with his family, finding comfort in his faith and community.

Jack found great joy in swimming and traveling, and he especially loved spending time in the kitchen as the family’s cook. He was also a devoted Boston sports fan who could often be found cheering on the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox. He loved to joke, tell stories and sing his favorite songs, always bringing smiles to those around him.

He is survived by his daughters, Karen Haskell and husband Mark of Melrose, and Lisa Elster and husband Bob of Bellingham; his cherished grandchildren, Caleb Elster, Arianna Elster and Matthew Haskell; as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

In addition to his wife, Janet, Jack was predeceased by his siblings, Carol Fisher and William Kirby.

Calling hours will be held from 4- 7 p.m. on Monday, May 4, at the Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home.

His graveside service with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, West Roxbury. Please meet at the cemetery’s main gate.

A celebration of life service will follow at noon in the Chapel of the Cross in Westborough, with a luncheon to be announced at the conclusion of the service.

All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jack’s life at each of his services.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in his memory may be sent to the Bellingham Senior Center, 40 Blackstone Street, Bellingham, MA 02019.

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.