Paul Francis Quirk, 81, of Dorchester, Massachusetts passed away, Thursday, October 27th surrounded by his closest loved ones.

Paul was described by friends and family as a force of nature, a character, a great brother and father. He was born June 16th, 1941 to Martin and Albina (Clifford) Quirk (of County Kerry, Ireland) in Dorchester, MA. He was incredibly proud of his parents and brothers, John (deceased) and Joe Quirk of Quincy. A strong proponent of education and a man of Catholic faith, he was in the first graduating class at St. Kevin’s, attended a junior seminary and ultimately graduated from English High School in 1958. He became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in English from Stonehill College in 1965 and graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Program in 1974.

He led a storied career as a member of the Peace Corps in Izmir, Turkey, a social worker, President and Executive Director of the local 509 Service Employees International Union, Secretary Treasurer of the MA AFL-CIO, Industrial Relations Consultant at Harvard University, Executive Director of the MA Pension Reserves Investment Management Board, Managing Director of Triumph Capital Group and Boston Capital Group, President of Glencar Capital and a consultant at LLM Capital Partners LLC. You could often hear him encouraging everyone from family to complete strangers to pursue their dreams of higher education and career success and offering to help.

In his personal life he loved spending time with his brother Joe and son Martin, walking, reading, watching movies, cheering on the Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox, and talking to people. Perhaps most of all, he loved talking to people about his family and to his family about the good people he had met.

Paul is survived by his son Martin and his wife Emily Quirk of Providence, RI, his brother Joe Quirk of Quincy, MA, his sister in law Dorothy Quirk of Eugene, OR, his nephew Stephen and his wife Leticia and children Marcelo and Sienna Quirk of Alameda, CA, his nephew Douglas Quirke and his wife Robin and their daughter Robin of Eugene, OR and his nephew Timothy O’Brien and his wife Mindy Douglas of Durham, NC.

A Mass of a Christian Burial will be celebrated in St. Gregory Church, 2215 Dorchester Ave Boston, Wednesday November 2nd at 10:30 AM. Family and friends invited. Visiting hour at Dolan Funeral Home, 460 Granite Avenue, EAST MILTON SQUARE, Wednesday November 2nd, 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.