David Burns Corfield, a longtime resident of Martha’s Vineyard and former longtime resident of Chelmsford died Friday, Oct. 24, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, surrounded by his family. He was 75.
He was the beloved husband of Eleanor (Peters) Corfield to whom he was married for 49 years.
He was born in Lowell on May 1, 1939 son of the late Fred and Alice (Burns) Corfield. Dave attended schools in Chelmsford and graduated from Chelmsford High School with the class of 1958. He then went on to receive his engineering degree from Lowell Tech. He was employed as a mechanical engineer at Natick Labs until he retired, moved to Martha’s Vineyard, and opened the Vineyard Vines Bed and Breakfast with Eleanor.
A man of many talents, Dave never met a home improvement or automotive project he couldn’t handle. So he got creative, building stone walls and outdoor showers, weaving chair seats and Nantucket baskets, creating stained glass, and making jewelry that Eleanor designed. He combined two of his passions — building and skiing — when he built a ski chalet for his family at Gunstock Mountain. He loved gardening, but not the deer who ate the fruits of his labors, and was a lifelong antique car enthusiast and a member of the Klaxon Club while living in Chelmsford.
Dave reveled in the holidays and couldn’t wait to put up the decorations to welcome friends and family into his and Eleanor’s home. That’s what mattered most to Dave: his family. He loved traveling the world with Eleanor and surprising her with trips for her birthday, seeing Sandra and Eric succeed, and building things for his grandchildren. He built a backyard playhouse for them and, when they started to outgrow it, transformed part of the basement into a wonderful kids’ hideaway.
In addition to his wife, Dave is survived by his two children, Sandra Corfield of Boston, and Eric Corfield and his wife Linda of Chelmsford; four grandchildren, Grace, Hannah, Christopher and Cole Corfield, all of Chelmsford, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Visiting hours will be held Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Blake Funeral Home, 24 Worthen street in Chelmsford. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, Oct. 30, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Church, 25 North Road, Chelmsford.
Interment will follow in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Lowell. In addition to the funeral services in Chelmsford, a memorial service for Dave will be held on Martha’s Vineyard at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys and Girls Club, 44 Robinson Road, Edgartown, MA 02539 or to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, 1 Hospital Road, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. For online condolences, please visit blakefuneralhome.com.
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