Joseph Lehner

OXFORD - Joseph J. Lehner, 85, of Linden Street, died Friday, March 29, 2013, at UMass Memorial Medical Center - University Campus, surrounded by his family, after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Virginia E. (Foster) Lehner of Oxford; six children, Joseph J. Lehner IV and his companion Barbara Bannon of Oxford, Michael C. Lehner and his wife Gloria of Oxford, James T. Lehner and his wife Paula of Sutton, Richard C. Lehner of Oxford and Port Orange, FL, Melinda M. Miville and her husband Thomas of Oxford, and Lucinda A. Broadard and her companion John Siwek of Worcester; two sisters, Frances Dupont of Auburn and Dorothy Painchaud of Worcester; nine grandchildren, one great granddaughter, and many nephews and nieces. He was born in Methuen, the son of the late Joseph J. and Mary V. (Sifferlen) Lehner, and lived in Auburn and Worcester before moving to Oxford 60 years ago. He graduated from St. Peter's High School in Worcester in 1945 and attended St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH. He was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II. Mr. Lehner was a union plumber for 32 years, retiring from the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union, Local 4, in Worcester in 1986. He was a police officer in Oxford for several years in the 1960's. He was a parishioner of St. Roch's Church in Oxford. Mr. Lehner was a member of the American Legion Post 58 in Oxford and was active with the American Legion Boy Scout Troop 149 in Oxford when his sons were young. A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2013, at St. Roch's Church, 332 Main St., Oxford. Please meet directly at the church. Burial will be private at North Cemetery in Oxford. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to the Cerebral Palsy Program at Boston Children's Hospital, in memory of Joseph J. Lehner. Contributions can be made on line at www.childrenshospital.org/tribute or checks made payable to Boston Children's Hospital and can be mailed to Children's Hospital Trust, 401 Park Drive, Suite 602, Boston, MA 02215. Paradis Funeral Home in Oxford is directing the arrangements.