John B. Niland, a United States Navy Veteran of the Vietnam Era and current resident of (Green Harbor) Marshfield, formerly of Mission Hill and Norwell passed away unexpectedly at sea..... 25 Degrees – 57.7 Degrees North by 078 Degrees – 03.6 Degrees West aboard the MS Eurodam on Sunday January 28, 2018 while on a vacation cruise with his beloved wife Maureen A. (Riley) and lifelong friends Derrell and Bob McGrath of Pembroke. John is also survived by his loving children, Kimberly A. Varghese and husband Tom of Plymouth, John J. Niland and wife Rayla of Randolph, Kristen Morrison and husband Shawn of Plymouth, his 2 sisters, Elaine McIntyre andlate husband Richard of Roslindale, Kate Baron and late husband Paul of Dedham, his brothers, Frank Niland of Westwood, Michael Niland and late wife Carol of Marshfield, Daniel and wife Florence of Jupiter,FL. and his cherished grandchildren, Brandon and Alec Morrison, Ava and T.J. Varghese, Josephine Hannah and Tytan Niland and many loving nieces, nephews and friends.

Born October 18, 1943 in Boston, Massachusetts to the late William F. and Nora M. (Bradley) Niland, Johnny grew up with his seven siblings in a family rich in Irish and Canadian heritage, so a marriage to his beloved wife Maureen Riley made perfect sense. Their union and commitment to each other was unmatched. John attended the Mission Hill Elementary School and was a graduate of Jamaica Plain High School. He also attended Newbury College where he attained his A.S. Degree in Business Administration. John proudly served his country aboard the USS Essex and was Honorably Discharged in 1970 with the rank of E-3. Johnny worked for the former Boston Edison Co. (Now Eversource) for over 30 years and was a dedicated union member and shop steward of Local # 369 in Boston. Besides spending time with his well loved family, one of John's greatest pleasures was being in a boat on the open seas and spending time on Pier 2. He adored is grandchildren and loved attending their sports and school events and traveling to to tropical places. He spent his retirement years following his Boston sports teams, bringing humor and spreading acts of kindness with every interaction he had in his life. Johnny will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him and his spirit will live forever.

Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend visiting hours NOTE: (CASUAL BOATING ATTIRE AND BRIGHT COLORS WELCOME AND REQUESTED BY THE FAMILY) and a celebration of John's life which will be held on Thursday February 8, 2018 from 4 P.M. - 8 P.M. in the MacDonald Funeral Home,1755 Ocean Street, Rt. 139, Marshfield. His funeral mass will be held on Friday February 9, 2018 at 9:00 A.M. from the funeral home, followed by a mass of christian burial at 10:00 A.M. In The Our Lady Of The Assumption Church, 40 Canal Street, Marshfield. Burial with USNavy Military Honors will immediately follow at the Massachusetts Veterans National Cemetery in Bourne, MA at 12:30 P.M.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the John B. Niland scholarship fund at any Rockland Trust branch.

For online guestbook and driving directions, please visit our website macdonaldfuneralhome.com