Salisbury — James Francis Cutter, 85, passed away in Methuen, at his daughter’s residence, after a short illness, surrounded by his loving family on May 28, 2014. James was a resident of Salisbury, Mass. He was born Jan. 4, 1929, in Lawrence, the son of the late Arthur E. Cutter and Mary (Reidy) Cutter. He graduated from Lawrence High School, and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1959 from Merrimack College. James was a veteran of World War II, having served in GHQ, Pacific Theater, Tokyo, from 1946 to 1947.

He married the late Theresa Giselle Besner at Saint Augustine Church, Lawrence, in 1951. James is survived by his four children, Theresa M., wife of Steven Thompson of Methuen, Kenneth of Burlington, Francis J. of Freedom, N.H., and James F. Junior of Methuen. His four grandchildren are Steven J. Thompson of Dracut, James P. Thompson of Billerica, Charlotte K. Cutter of Newton, Mass., and Caitlin L. Cutter of Somerville. His brother, Leonard lives in Haverhill. He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

James worked locally for Western Electric Company, AVCO, Raytheon, and for the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory when he contributed to the simulator for the Apollo lunar lander.

He enjoyed fishing, canoeing, and travel with family and friends. He had fond memories of his retirement years with his wife in Florida. In the town of Methuen, he gave his time to the Conservation Commission, and to the Housing Authority.

The last years of his life were given to outstanding care for his late wife in her long illness. He was named Caretaker of the Year by Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley.