John 'Ham' Hamilton Givan

WEST BOYLSTON – John “Ham” Hamilton Givan, 74, of 107 Pierce St., died on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 in UMass Memorial Hospital, Worcester, after a long illness.

He leaves his wife of 40 years, Patricia E. (Hedlund) Givan; his son, John H. Givan, Jr. of West Boylston; a daughter, Wendy F. Toth and her husband Scott of Bolton; a brother, Curtis V. Givan of North Kingston, RI; a sister, Mary L. Bath of Worcester; two grandchildren, Madeline and Andrew; and several nieces and nephews. A brother, James Givan, predeceased him. He was born in Worcester, son of Dr. James A. and Thelma G. (Brown) Givan, and lived in West Boylston for the last 40 years.

He was a graduate of Wilbraham Academy and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War serving from 1952-54.

Mr. Givan was owner and operator of Givan Associates Inc. in West Boylston for 30 years and was also the Product Sales Manager at David Clark Co. in Worcester. He was active in the Town of West Boylston, most notably, serving on the Finance Committee and Industrial Survey committee. Using the call sign of W1FGP, he was an amateur radio operator (ARRL). He enjoyed sailing, woodworking, and genealogy. He was a strong follower of news and current events and most recently wrote news articles for the Telegram and Gazette’s online newspaper.

Relatives and friends are invited to calling hours from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by a 7 p.m. funeral home service on Friday, September 28th, in the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street (Rte. 122A), Holden. A private graveside service will be held at the convenience of the family at Worcester County Memorial Park, 217 Richards Avenue (Rte. 56) Paxton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Website: www.milesfuneralhome.com