Harry James Dermody, Jr.

Harry James Dermody Jr., age 80, of Bedford, NH died December 17, 2023, surrounded by his family.  He was a loving husband, devoted parent and grandfather, and a cherished friend to many.

Harry was born December 9, 1943, the son of Harry J. and Lucy F. (Allan) Dermody, in Boston, MA and had recently celebrated his 80th birthday with family.  He loved his country, proudly served in the US Army, and held steadfast to his conservative values of faith, family, and compassion for others.  He and his family resided in Norton, MA for 16 years where he served for many years as Town Water Commissioner.  Harry was a strong advocate for women in business and was a pioneer in the publishing industry helping to grow national distribution of McCall’s Magazine and Ladies Home Journal, as well as the creation of Working Woman Magazine and Working Mother Magazine. As part of his role as National Sales & Marketing Manager, he designed and implemented the now familiar checkout fixtures and magazine racks for supermarkets and discount chains.

In 1985, Harry and his family moved to peaceful Sharon, NH where he resided for 35 years before moving to Bedford, NH.  Harry was a writer, publisher, and consultant. He helped to develop national circulation for Wayne Greene Enterprises’ Digital Audio Magazine where he was VP & Director of Sales and Marketing. Harry was an entrepreneur and started several companies, initially in the publishing consulting realm for General Motors, PGA, and the Irish Voice, among others, before expanding his sales and marketing scope.

Harry had a passion for coffee and started his own brand in the early 1990s, Harry’s Coffee, which served many local restaurants and retail shops in the NH/MA region. Later in life, he managed the Health and Beauty Care (HBC) section for Market Basket for the New England region. He was also an active member of the community, holding positions as Selectman for the Town of Sharon for 5 years as well as serving on the Zoning Board for 15 years.

Harry was an avid New England Patriots fan and known for his great sense of humor, selflessness, and inspiration. He lived his life to its fullest, always choosing to look at the positive side of life which was represented by his license plate - UCAN. His three children and seven grandchildren were his proudest accomplishment, and his greatest joy was spending time with them, attending their sporting events, and teaching them lessons of life, sharing stories, and playing games. He loved his family vacation trips including his annual trip to Nantucket where he always held court over the 4th of July festivities with family and friends.

He is survived by his three proud children; his daughter Michelle Holmes and her husband Brian, and their three children, Patrick, Katelyn and Kelly of Norfolk, MA; his daughter Cyndee Hoagland and her husband Eric, and their child, Sally, of Cambridge MA; and his son Harry James Dermody III and his wife Jen and their three children, Courtney, Jack and Harry James IV of Bedford, NH. In addition, he is survived by his longtime companion of nine years, Cathy Neptune of Leominster, MA, his brother, Alan Dermody of Baldwin, ME and his sister, Jane Cotton of Baldwin, ME.

Harry was predeceased by his beloved wife of 44 years, Sally Dermody, and his sister Frances Barnes.

A service will be held in his memory on Thursday December 28, 2023, at 12:15pm at St. John Neumann Parish 708 Milford Rd. Merrimack, NH.  A celebration of his life will be planned for June 2024.

In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in Harry’s memory to Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Road, Merrimack NH 03054 or at www.hhhc.org .  Community Hospice House was instrumental during his dignified and courageous battle.