MIDDLETON - Mr. John Robert Mullarkey, 86, formerly of Middleton, passed away on Saturday, November 11, 2017 at Masconomet Healthcare Center in Topsfield, surrounded by his family.

Born and raised in Peabody, John was the son of the late John Joseph Mullarkey and Agnes Spencer Mullarkey. John graduated from Peabody Vocational High School in 1950 and worked at his father's auto repair station as a mechanic until he joined the Navy. He served during the Korean War and was assigned to patrolling the east coastal waters of the United States.

In 1951, John married his high school sweetheart, the late Patricia Ann Grover Dunn, also of Peabody and they had three sons, John Jr., Edward and James.

In 1957 he was sworn in as a Peabody Firefighter where he rose to the rank of Captain and Motor Supervisor. John was credited with saving several lives in the line of duty, including a few of his fellow firefighters. He also survived two explosions and a tannery building collapse while he was inside. John retired from the department in 1979.

In addition to firefighting, John was also a successful entrepreneur. He was proprietor of a cleaning business, Services Unlimited, which serviced the Campanelli homes built in the area. He also became a Real Estate Broker and started Mullarkey Real Estate with his father and Uncle Ed Mullarkey as partners. They bought, rebuilt and sold area homes.

His next venture was to purchase the casket manufacturing company, American Burial Cases. John's entire family worked for the business and it flourished. After selling the business he went back into real estate and became a partner in TriStar Real Estate.

Throughout his life, John was a devout Christian and attended St. John's Church in Peabody. He donated his time to the Discalced Carmelite Nuns by maintaining the property in Danvers for 20 years and was a frequent attendee of the Carmelite masses.

John worked hard all his life, however his greatest joy was his growing family and his devoted wife, Patricia. With his love and devotion, together for several years they battled the cancer that would eventually take her life. In 1988, broken-hearted and exhausted he sold his holdings in the North Shore and moved to Ocala, Florida to be near his father and sister, Marie.

John continued his good works in Florida and became a trusted friend and neighbor and a volunteer for his church. All who knew John trusted him to help when called upon. After a few years, John's entrepreneurial spirit took hold and he started a landscaping business. Soon, his business grew to over sixty customers and he enlisted the help of his sister, Anne, who joined him in Florida. A few years later, his younger brother, Bill and wife Barbara, also retired to Ocala. Together again, John and his siblings enjoyed several years together.

In 2008, due to medical issues, John returned to the North Shore to be near his sons. He settled in Middleton and enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. He frequently visited his sons' fencing club, 3MB Fencing in Beverly, where all the students lovingly referred to him as Grampy. During this time, John reconnected with his grandchildren, old friends and made new ones at Oak Knoll.

John is survived by his three sons, John Mullarkey Jr. of Middleton, Edward Mullarkey and his wife Donna of Middleton and James Mullarkey and his wife Suzanne of Scituate and his grandchildren, Dawn Brown, Lauren Furlong, James, Daniel, Sean, Jake, Jenna and Kayla Mullarkey and great grandchildren John Mullarkey, Kyle and Erin Furlong, Isabella and Paris Dial and a soon to be born baby boy, his sisters-in-law Barbara Mullarkey of Ocala FL, Virginia Russell of Danvers and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, Patricia, John is predeceased by his sisters Anne Mullarkey and Marie Taylor, his brother William (Bill) Mullarkey and his grandson, Kyle Patrick Mullarkey.

ARRANGEMENTS: His funeral service will be held in the Peterson-O'Donnell Funeral Home, 167 Maple St., (rte 62) Danvers, Thursday, Nov. 16th at 11 A.M. Relatives and friends invited. Burial in Harmony Grove Cemetery, Salem. Visiting hours Wednesday, Nov. 15th from 4 to 8 P.M. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in John's memory to the Kyle Patrick Mullarkey Medulloblastoma Research Fund at Boston Children's Hospital, 401 Park Dr., Suite 602, Boston, MA, 02215. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit www.odonnellfuneralservice.com