John William McCormack

John William McCormack, 76, of Westford, MA (formaly of Sudbury, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, and South Boston), passed away peacefully on Tuesday September 22, 2026 after facing brain cancer with courage, grace, and determination.

John was born in 1950 to the late Emily (Ruplis) and Edward J. McCormack, Jr. He attended Georgetown University where he met the love of his life Anne during their freshman year. They married in 1973 and eventually settled in Sudbury, MA where they raised their three children.

During that time, he received his master’s degree in real estate development from M.I.T. Professionally, he worked eight years at Continental Wingate Company, Inc. as Assistant to and then as Vice-President for Development and Finance, 13 years at McCormack Family Associates as Operating Partner, Program Manager, and CFO, and finally 26 years at Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) as Development Loan Officer and Manager of Tax Exempt Rental Underwriting where he completed or oversaw the underwriting for over $500M in loans, representing the development of more than 5,500 affordable housing units across the state. John was dedicated to the goal of providing affordable housing to people who, without state assistance, would not be able to purchase their first home. He approached each project seriously and took great pride in seeing them through and making them successful.

John was honest and caring, truly dedicated to his family, and lived his life with great integrity and enthusiasm. In retirement, John and Anne enjoyed trips to Europe, Canada, and within the States. Their greatest joy was having family trips with their children and grandchildren. John was instrumental in researching, planning, and booking the arrangements that made these vacations possible where many happy memories were made.

He had many passions and interests that he was known for and that brought him great joy. He was an enthusiastic and dedicated Patriots fan, following news and reports year-round and attending games regardless of the weather: rain, shine, or snow. He lived to play golf, especially in his retirement, achieving the goal of playing a round of golf in every month of the year. He also loved photography where his favorite subjects were barns, covered bridges, lighthouses, and most of all, his family and friends. No event went undocumented, from momentous occasions like graduations, weddings, and holidays to ordinary scenic day trips and meals shared with those he loved. He had a love for reading and in his spare time could be found marking up books with his own notes in the margins as he read. He was particularly fond of science fiction, poetry, and theology. And above all, those who knew him knew he loved the color green, at times even making decisions simply because there was a green option.

John is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Anne (Reiss) McCormack, his children Elissa Cutter and her husband Duke, John Jr. and his wife Utsha, and Emily Watulak and her husband Derek, and his cherished grandchildren, Joseph, Veda, Kiran, Reagan, and Molly. He also leaves his brother, Edward McCormack, III, and his wife Linda, his nephew David, along with many extended family members and dear friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to John's Celebration of Life on Monday October 5, 2026 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at BLESSED TRINITY PARISH – ST CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA CHURCH, 107 North Main Street, Westford. John’s Funeral Mass will follow at 11 AM where relatives and friends are encouraged to wear John’s favorite color, green. Burial will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorial donations to Foodlink at www.foodlinkma.org or National Brain Tumor Society at www.braintumor.org .