Francis Baril

OXFORD – Francis “Frank” E. Baril, 92, died peacefully on Saturday, August 4, 2018, at home with his family by his side. He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 68 years, Patricia (Langer) Baril who died in 2017. He is survived by three children, Deborah A. Roland and her husband Paul of Oxford, David E. Baril and his wife Alberta of Eastampton, NJ, and Richard G. Baril and his wife Angela of Monroe, CT; his sister, Theresa Baril of Tuscon, AZ; and his sister-in-law, Lois Taylor and her husband Warren Field of Centerville. He also leaves six grandchildren, Anita Greco and her husband Nick, Michael Baril and his wife Kasey, Heather Roland, Christopher Roland and his wife Alyce Delbridge, Jessica Baril, and Jacqueline Baril; as well as two great-grandchildren, Daniela and Alessandro Greco; and numerous nephews and nieces. He was born in Nashua, NH, son of the late Harvey and Alice (Labay) Baril, and was a lifelong resident of Oxford. While attending high school, Frank helped deliver milk in the mornings and worked at a factory in the afternoons. He graduated from Oxford High School in 1944 and joined the Naval Air Corp. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, in 1948 through the GI bill.

Frank worked for State Mutual and then Hanover Insurance Company in Worcester for over 30 years, retiring in 1988. He was the founder and president of Hanover’s premium finance subsidiary, AMGRO, Inc. In addition, he operated the Francis E. Baril Insurance Agency from his home in Oxford for twenty years.

Frank was a leader in the community and volunteered his time to many organizations. He served on the Town of Oxford Finance Committee and was president of the Friends of the Oxford Library. When his children were younger, Frank was a coach and manager of Little League Baseball and could be found at the field on nearly every summer evening. He was treasurer and later president of Oxford Little League as well as president of the Oxford PTA and Camp Fire Girls Inc.

An active member of St. Roch’s Church, Frank chaired their Finance Committee and was always involved with The Bishop’s Fund. He spent many years working as St. Roch’s representative on Oxford’s Ecumenical Food Shelf. He continued this service during his retirement years, working to secure donations of food from local businesses and keeping the shelves stocked.

For fun, Frank played bridge and became a Life Master, even playing in tournaments against Charles Goren and Omar Sharif! His wife, Pat, later began playing bridge as his partner and joined him on trips to tournaments in Bermuda. For a number of years, they ran a bridge club together in Webster.

Frank had an amazing mind and could recall the exact order of cards that he had played in bridge tournaments, sometimes years later. He loved his job working with numbers in premium finance and often only used a calculator to double check his answers.

Much of Frank’s spare time revolved around baseball. He played in high school and college, taught his children and many Oxford youngsters, and then continued playing in Oxford’s Jack Benny League into his seventies. When he wasn’t playing, he was watching, and the Red Sox games were always on until the very last out.

Frank was a recognized figure around town, out for his long daily walks, always sporting a Red Sox cap and stopping to chat along the way. He met new people wherever he went and was always asking questions. He led a full and joyous life and most of all loved spending time with his family, enriching the lives of those around him. He will be remembered and missed by both the community and his family.

The family would like to send our gratitude to all the nurses and staff at Eddy Pond, the Jewish Healthcare Hospice, and Worcester Home Care, for their loving and attentive care during his illness.

A funeral will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2018, from Paradis-Givner Funeral Home, 357 Main St., Oxford, followed by a Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Roch’s Church, 332 Main St., Oxford. Burial will follow at North Cemetery in Oxford. Calling hours are Friday, August 10, 2018, from 5-7 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Oxford Ecumenical Food Shelf, 4 Maple Rd., Oxford, MA 01540.