Everett Durgin Munsey

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Everett D. Munsey Jr on November 20, 2024. He died peacefully in his home in Largo, Florida, surrounded by his loving family. He was 90 years old. Everett was born in Laconia NH, on April 4th, 1934. He was the second son of Everett D. Munsey Sr and Eunice Pierce Munsey. Everett grew up in Laconia enjoying the great outdoors, with his older brother Park Munsey, hunting and fishing at the family property; Munsey point on Lake Winnisquam. During his teens, Everett worked cutting and hauling ice from Lake Winnisquam to stock local iceboxes. In high school, Everett lost his right index finger in a shooting accident and joined the speech and debate clubs as a way of getting over the embarrassment of his missing digit. He soon earned a reputation as a strong debater and public speaker and was elected LHS senior-class president for the class of 1952. On one particular night, during his senior year, Everett and his date were dining at Weeks Dairy restaurant. While delivering shakes to their table, their waitress 'accidently' spilled an entire shake onto his date's lap. His date ran to bathroom for an extended amount of time to clean-up. It was at that moment that Everett and the waitress, Irene Marie Gage, met for the first time. They began dating immediately and would eventually be married. Following graduation, Everett moved to California and attended the College of San Mateo and San Francisco State University where he earned his degree in business administration and management. While he was in California, he also converted from Protestantism to Catholicism, as a part of his effort to gain parental approval for marrying Irene, whose family was Catholic. In August of 1957, Everett and Irene were married at St Joseph church in Laconia, NH. The newlyweds moved to Nuremberg, Germany for the duration of Everett's army deployment. Everett helped to manage a military hospital where Irene was able to work, as a nurse. It was during those 2 years in Germany, when their first of four children was born. Following Everett's military service, the couple moved to Dublin, California, where three more children were born. The Munsey family lived in Dublin for 13 years. Throughout the 1960s to the 1970s, Everett owned, in partnership, and managed three furniture and dinette stores in the San Francisco Bay area. He was very active with the Parent Teacher Association for his children's school and was PTA president for many years. He also participated in fund-raising efforts that included acting in several musicals and plays. He often enjoyed leisure evenings, singing songs, as Irene played accompaniment on her baby grand for the whole family. In the 1970's, Everett and Irene returned home to Laconia, NH and purchased Irene's childhood home on Messer St. Everett enjoyed being back in Laconia; playing tennis; making new friends and reconnecting with old friends. He ensured that Irene's baby grand piano was safely moved from California to NH so that her playing continued to fill their home with music for all the years that they lived there. In returning to the area, Everett continued his family's banking tradition as VP at Laconia People's National Bank; founded by his grandfather and run by his father before him. Everett made it a priority of the bank to reach-out to woman and the disadvantaged by providing free-seminars around credit and money management. He also created a program that financed affordable housing construction, in the Lakes Region, and was a strong advocate of race equality. In the 1980's, Everett and Irene moved to the Tampa Bay area. Everett applied his knowledge and experience in founding the First Referral Title Company. He built strong working relationships with many banks in Florida that outsourced their title research to him. Everett had a very strong work ethic and did not retire until he was 75. In his leisure, he enjoyed yard work and home improvements and tennis. His love for tennis and playing only grew stronger in Florida and he likely would have continued playing but for his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2012. Everett's storytelling and comedic anecdotes led to a life of laughter and enjoyment for those around him. His quick wit and wry sense of humor will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. He was preceded in his death by, Irene, his wife of 65 years. His brother George Park Munsey of Alaska and his youngest son Staff Sergeant Mark Munsey retired USAF. He is survived by his two sons; John and Jim and daughter; Laura Lawlor. Everett is also survived by His grandchildren: Maureen Nichols, Kathleen Bennett, Jack and Violet Munsey. And his great Grandchildren: Brynn Nichols, Hadley Nichols, Ethan Bennett and Blake Bennett. A funeral mass will be held on Friday January 24th at 11 am at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Church,1955 Belcher Rd Clearwater, FL 33764. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Munsey family may be expressed here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/seminole-fl/everett-munsey-12103240