Joseph J. Coughlan

Joseph was born in Cambridge, MA and was the son of Jeremiah and Rosella Coughlan. He was the youngest of 6 children.

He was educated in Cambridge, MA at Saint Mary’s Grammar School, Cambridge Latin High School and Harvard College. After receiving an MS in Organic Chemistry at Boston College, he went to work for Hercules Powder Company. His first project involved improving the life of flameproof tents and camouflage netting. He succeeded in raising the useful life of these items in the South Pacific from 2 months to 2 years.

After the Navy rejected him from active service due to a heart issue, he went to Badger Ordnance Works in Wisconsin and was a shift supervisor for the production of smokeless rocket powder. After WWII, he returned to the Hercules Research laboratory briefly and then transferred into sales and marketing.

He was a coatings expert and then a plastic technologist. Joe’s final project put Hercules (later called Himont and Lyondell Basell) into Plastic Compounding. He retired as Director of Engineering Plastics from Himont.

Joe will be fondly remembered as an avid bridge player and an ardent Red Sox fan.

Mr. Coughlan is survived by seven children from his first marriage to Margaret Corcoran who died in 1995. They are Jerry Coughlan and his wife Karin, Mary Ellen and her husband Matti, Frank and his wife Susan, Michael and his wife Elaine, James and his wife Kitty, Kate and her wife Brenda, Elizabeth and her significant other Mario as well as his 5 step-children from his second marriage to Joan (Cavanagh) Mitchell who survives him. They are Jack Mitchell and his wife Joan, Ann Marie Schick and her husband Art, Paul Mitchell and his wife Rose, Jean Jones and her husband Carlton and Steven Mitchell and his wife Wendy. He also leaves 30 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. He was the brother of the late Eleanor McCurdy, Jack Coughlan, William Coughlan, Florence Dorman and Charles Coughlan.

His funeral will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Elizabeth Seton Church 481 Quaker Road North Falmouth. Calling hours Tuesday 5 – 8 p.m. at the Nickerson Bourne Funeral Home 40 MacArthur Blvd. Bourne. Interment is private. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts should be directed to the St. Vincent de Paul Chapter at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish 481 Quaker Road North Falmouth, MA or to the Ministry of Caring 506 North Church Street Wilmington, DE 19801.

Arrangements under the direction of Nickerson~Bourne Funeral Home, Bourne, Massachusetts.