Brothers in hospice together comfort each other in final days

• Posted by Obituaries Apr 29 - Filed in News - #Worcester  #Millbury  #Jim Callahan  #Bill Callahan  #Mulhane Home for Funerals  - 4,006 views

  Bill and Jim Callahan pass weeks apart, combined wake Tuesday

  
  Bill, left, and Jim Callahan passed away just weeks apart

  MILLBURY — In a heartwarming display of brotherly love, William Patrick Callahan and James Joseph Callahan found solace in each other's company during their final days battling cancer, passing away recently about 6 weeks apart.

  Bill succumbed to liver cancer on March 1st, according to his obituary on the Mulhane Home for Funerals website. It was a month short of his 64th birthday.

  Fatefully, Jim, 56, lost his battle with brain cancer on April 13th, surrounded by his brothers Jack and Mike, and sister-in-law Sue, according his obituary.

  Despite the cruel hand dealt by fate, the brothers found comfort in being reunited in hospice care, their bond serving as a source of strength during their respective fights. "In their final hospice days, they were brought together to be of great comfort to each other," according to Jim's tribute.

  Bill, 63, known for his imposing stature and animated storytelling, left behind cherished memories with his daughter Kerstin, granddaughter Mckenzie, and longtime companion Lynne.

  According to his obituary: "Bill was raised in Sutton. In his youth, he played competitive sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball. He loved being part of a team and doing his part to play everyone’s best game together. He was a very athletic young man with amazing ball instinct. As a Goalkeeper for the Fuller Hamlets Soccer Team, he used such physical awareness in aggressively defending the net against the opposition’s goals and penalty shots. Likewise, on the Sutton Basketball Team, he had exceptional boxing out and rebounding skills. As an adult, Bill also enjoyed playing in recreational horseshoe and softball leagues.

  "Throughout his life, friends and family always found Bill to be both an entertaining and energetic storyteller. He had an uncanny ability to capture the most interesting details about events and experiences. He always knew how to covey such details with animated expression in a way that captured other peoples’ attentions.

  "He was certainly a jovial spirit and everyone wanted to hang out with him or be a friend of Bill’s. No matter where he lived or visited, Bill had a unique gift of becoming an almost defacto mayor. He quickly would know all kinds of credible information about a place, town or person in an incredibly short time because he talked and listened to people in earnest. Because of his charismatic energy, his friends nicknamed him 'Taz' after the prominent Tasmanian Devil tattoo he had on his bicep. It was always revealed because he was a perpetual wearer of A-shirts with jeans and shorts and nobody walked with such swagger like Bill when he came through a door, except the Tasmanian Devil himself!

  "Bill loved spending time with friends, but loved spending time with his family more, especially after experiencing a traumatic brain injury sixteen years ago. Despite experiencing impairment to some cognitive and short-term memory capabilities, Bill was aware enough to want to spend quality time with family. He especially wanted to visit with and support his younger brothers, Steve and Jim during their illnesses.

  Jim, known affectionately as "Jimbo," was the youngest of the Callahan siblings, survived by his loving family and remembered for his gentle spirit and enduring gratitude for life's blessings.

  According to his obituary: "Jim was raised in Sutton. As a kid, he liked to ride mini and motor bikes in the old gravel pits. When he was older, he enjoyed off road four wheeling and developed a bike-building hobby. As a young adult, he was involved in an almost fatal ATV accident off a cliff. Miraculously he survived, yet his recovery from the traumatic fall was enduring and hard. Yet somehow, he persevered and never complained about the 'hand' he was dealt, despite all of his complex fractures. He was truly just grateful to be able to live another day.

  "Later in life, he lived in Worcester for many years with his longtime friend and companion, Alice Letourneau. For years, he was his Brother Steven’s frequent 'sidekick', whenever visiting friends, family, concerts or local haunts.

  "Jim loved the holidays. He especially enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. He was proud of his Irish roots and you could always catch 'Jimbo sporting some sort of Celtic shirt throughout the year, not just in March! He was especially fond of the annual traditional Irish dinner at his brother Jack and Sue’s home and was not shy about taking leftovers home! He really looked forward to all family cookouts and reunions, where he could catch up with his immediate and extended family.

  "He also really loved being outdoors. No matter the season, you could often find him just sitting outside soaking up the sunshine and taking in nature around him. He enjoyed quiet evening campfires with Mike, Billy and Steven, especially when Steven was undergoing radiation treatments."

  Both brothers were remembered fondly for their athletic prowess, jovial personalities, and unwavering support for family and friends.

  Calling hours for Jim and Bill will be held jointly on Tuesday, April 30th, followed by a private family burial on Wednesday, May 1st, at Millbury Central Cemetery.

  Their legacy of brotherly love and resilience will continue to inspire those who knew them.