William T. Haggerty Jr.

William “Bill” Thomas Haggerty, Jr., of Dunstable, Mass., passed away at his home on Sunday, September 21, 2025 at age 82. He was a Dunstable resident for 40 years.

He was born in Woburn, Mass., on January 25, 1943 to the late William T. Haggerty, Sr. and Vivian C. (Hogan) Haggerty.

He was raised in Winchester, graduated from Winchester High School, and enrolled at Harvard College, graduating in 1964 with an A.B. in chemistry. After Harvard, he served in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service from 1964-67, assigned to a lab at what was then the Communicable Disease Center (now the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in Savannah, Ga.

After his service, Bill joined the nascent computer software industry in the late 1960s, working at early-stage computer companies in eastern Massachusetts. During the economic downturn of the early 1970s, he pursued a graduate degree in developmental zoology at UMass Amherst and worked as a part-time consultant at the university’s computer center, continuing to learn to program while earning his master’s. During his nearly fifty-year career as a systems architect and software engineer at Wang Labs, Cabletron Systems, and a number of other technology companies in Mass. and N.H., Bill would be granted eight patents for his inventions related to digital image processing and advanced computer networking and communication systems.

Bill had an insatiable intellectual curiosity, and he ardently believed in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, immersing himself in the study of advanced topics in physics and mathematics until his death. He was an exceptional conversationalist, gifted violinist and patron of the arts, longtime tennis player, and a committed conservationist. He was the consummate family man who adored spending time with loved ones, especially his five grandchildren. He cherished annual trips to the southern coast of Maine where he vacationed with his family for decades.

Bill is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marianne (Grant); his daughter Jennifer Cooper and husband Andrew of Phoenix, Ariz.; his son Brian Haggerty and wife Kaitlin of McLean, Va.; his sister, Maureen DeGregorio of Canton, Mass.; brother Kevin Haggerty of Wolfeboro, N.H.; and his five grandchildren and four nieces. He treasured his numerous friends, many of whom he had known since childhood.

The family will be holding a private memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the William T. Haggerty, Jr. Memorial Scholarship fund to benefit Winchester High School graduates pursuing degrees in the sciences, engineering, or mathematics through the Winchester Scholarship Foundation, William T. Haggerty, Jr. Memorial Scholarship, PO Box 174, Winchester, MA 01890 or online: https://www.winchestersf.org/support.

Arrangements are under the care of Badger Funeral Home, A Life Celebration Home, 45 School St., Groton, MA 01450. 978-486-3709