Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, David was the third of the seven children of Robert and Irene Eddy. Transferring into Saint John’s High School for his junior year, somewhat against his will, David an-nounced to his parents, after six months at Saint John’s, that he intended to become a Xaverian Brother. He never looked back. Entering at Newton Highlands, he was in the last class which the redoubtable Br. Kevin Kenney would receive into the novitiate. After his profession, David began studies at Catholic University and then transferred to the University of Massachusetts where he received his bachelor’s de-gree in mathematics in 1972. David began his teaching career at Malden Catholic where he served from 1972 until 1976, teaching mathematics, prefecting dances, driving the school bus and doing all of those things which young Xaverian Brothers did in those days.
In 1976 he began a nine year mission at Xavier High School where he taught mathematics, managed the bookstore and directed the school’s sophomore retreat program. In 1985 Father Paul Loverde, of the Diocese of Norwich, asked David to become his secretary in the priests’ personnel office at the chancery. That began a twenty-five year association be-tween Bishop Loverde and David. David served as the bishop’s right hand man in Norwich and then in the Archdiocese of Hartford when Father Loverde was named auxiliary bishop there. David and Bishop Loverde then traveled to the Diocese of Ogdensburg in upstate New York where Bishop Loverde had been appointed Ordinary. In 1999 Bishop Loverde was appointed Ordinary of the Diocese of Arlington, and David served with him in Virginia until his death.
Because David worked outside of the Xaverian system, as it were, and because he was a very private per-son, the Brothers did not know a great deal about his work. In the days of his dying and at his wake and funeral, Brother Lawrence Harvey heard countless stories of David’s kindness and generosity and of his fraternal concern for all those he met in his ministry in Arlington. In his eulogy for David, Brother Law-rence commented:
Over and over again last week as I spoke with chancery staff in Arlington, business people and contractors, medical professionals who interacted with Brother David, priests and seminarians he mentored, I heard them speak of his presence, his availability, his reaching out to them in many unseen ways. As that has been true these past 11 years here in Arlington, so it was true in David’s years in Hartford and Norwich as well as at Malden Catholic and Xavier as a teacher of math and computers, a moderator of student activities, retreat director, driver of the school bus and even driver of the snow plow.
The Brothers who attended David in his last days were most impressed that “the little people” in the chancery, the cleaners and the maintenance people, had such a deep love and respect for David. David carried out well his ministry to be “bread that is broken” for the people whom he encountered in his daily life. Although he died of cancer, David had had serious health problems for much of his life. He suffered quietly and privately.
David’s funeral was unique in the annals of the Xaverian Brothers as perhaps his career was unique in the annals of Xaverian Brothers. He had two funerals, one in Arlington and one at the Prep. In Arlington there were present a cardinal, seven bishops and over one hundred priests, all of whom were there to show their respect for David’s devotion to the diocese. His final obsequies were at the Prep where David was laid to rest with his Brothers in our cemetery there.
Brother David Samuel Eddy (Brother Dreux)
Born: Worcester, Massachusetts, February 19, 1948
Entered: Newton Highlands, July 8, 1966
Died: Arlington, Virginia, February 15, 2010