James Eugene Cleary

Beloved father and uncle, James Eugene Cleary, 85, of Hingham, Massachusetts, passed away on September 22, 2025, at Pat Roche Hospice Home in Nowell, Massachusetts, after a short illness.

Jim was born in Lansing, Michigan on June 5, 1940 to Jim and Catherine Jane Cleary.

Their family, including sister Kit and younger brother Dennis, moved to Detroit in 1949. He attended Epiphany Grade School, Catholic Central High School, and the University of Detroit, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in History in 1963. While at the University of Detroit, he worked at the Detroit Public Library with his friend Ajit Kumar, who introduced him to Sandra Von Velson, who was attending Wayne State University . He later received his Master’s Degree in History at the University of Michigan.

Jim and Sandra were married in New York City in 1965, where they resided until 1966 when they moved back to Detroit. Their son, Jason was born in August of 1967 in Detroit.

Jim started working with Aetna Insurance Company as an underwriter in 1969, where he would have a long and successful career. His job took the family to Manchester, Connecticut where they lived until 1971, when he was transferred to Tampa, Florida.

Daughter Sarah was born in Tampa in October of 1971. In 1975 Jim was transferred to Hartford, Connecticut to work in Aetna’s headquarters. The family resided in Vernon, Connecticut until 1981 when they moved to Hingham, Massachusetts where they remained the rest of their lives, except for a three-year assignment with Aetna in London, England in 1996. During their London years, Sandra and Jim traveled extensively across Eastern and Western Europe and explored London every weekend. Jim was known for his hours-long walks through the city, galavanting for hours and stopping at pubs along the way.

Jim and Sandra both had a great love for the rich history of Hingham, and were very involved in the local school system where Sandra served on the School Committee for several years. As was the case throughout their marriage, they were avid participants in the cultural life of their times and participated in many plays and productions. Sandy, whose Bachelor and Master’s Degrees were in Rhetoric, would recite Shakespeare at the drop of a sonnet.

Jim returned to London multiple times with his brother Dennis over the years, and his niece Meghan, lived with him and Sandra in London 1993.

Jim loved Shakespeare, reading, jazz, Frank Sinatra and his beloved cats, Loki and Fyrogen. His extensive Folio Shakespeare collection was a favorite of his and a well-read and loved collection by the entire family.

Jim retired from Aetna in 2003 after a long and prolific career with the company.

He is survived by his son, Jason Cleary, of Medford, Massachusetts and numerous nieces and nephews as well as, brothers Dennis Cleary (Ann), of Farmington, Michigan and Tim Cleary (Nancy), of Port Orchard, Washington and sister, Kit King of Charlotte, North Carolina. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Sandra, (July 2024) and daughter, Sarah Cleary (April 2025) as well as his brother, Brian Cleary of Detroit, Michigan.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Quincy Animal Shelter.