Martin J. Lydon Returns to Norwood Selectmen’s Table-October 18, 1978

A Swift Return Following Major Surgery-October 18, 1978

Less than two weeks after undergoing major throat surgery at a Boston hospital, Martin J. Lydon surprised attendees in the municipal chamber by returning to his seat at the Board of Selectmen‘s table last night. Reassuming his public duties far sooner than his prescribed recuperation period would have ordinarily allowed, Lydon demonstrated remarkable resilience.

Selectman Joseph F. Curran hailed Lydon as “a profile in courage” and spoke for the entire board and community when he welcomed him back, stating, “Nice to have you back.” While Lydon remained present for the vast majority of the business meeting, he ultimately departed before final adjournment and wisely left the chairman’s gavel in the hands of Curran, who had been serving as acting chairman during Lydon’s absence.

Balancing Civic Duty and Recovery-October 18, 1978

Board colleague and close friend Walter J. Dempsey noted that Lydon’s tenacious work ethic extended well beyond municipal governance. According to Dempsey, Lydon had already resumed putting in hours at his plumbing contracting business, Lydon & Haase Co.

Dempsey described his friend as remarkably strong in coping with his illness and returning to normal routines. Eager to speed his full recovery, Lydon was already actively participating in speech therapy as part of his post-surgical rehabilitation, proving just as determined in his personal healing as he was committed to serving the residents of Norwood.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger