Corporal Lyons, a dedicated Vietnam War combat veteran, presently leads as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Veterans Home at Chelsea, devoting his life to championing and commemorating his fellow veterans through projects like the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, the Semper Fidelis Society, and the Boston Marine Corps Honor Run, alongside serving on various boards and committees.
Thomas J. Lyons dedicated his life to serving his country, community, and fellow veterans. He recently retired from MassHousing Finance Agency after 16 years as the Vice President of Government Affairs & Corporate Communications. MassHousing is the state’s Affordable Housing Bank. Prior to that, from 1995 to 2002, he was the Executive Director of the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. He also served as Commissioner for Veterans’ Services for the City of Boston from 1984 to 1995.
Born in South Boston, Mr. Lyons graduated from South Boston High in 1967 and served in the United States Marine Corps from 1967-1969. He is a combat veteran and served a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1968-1969.
In 1978, Mr. Lyons led a committee of Vietnam Veterans to establish the South Boston Vietnam Memorial, which honors the 25 young men from his community who died during the Vietnam War. He also founded the Semper Fidelis Society of Boston in 1987, a Marine Corps organization that has grown to more than 2,500 members. The Society hosts an annual luncheon on the Marine Corps’ Birthday and donates the proceeds to the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation and local veterans’ charities.
Mr. Lyons initiated the annual Boston Marine Corps Honor Run, which raises funds for the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. He was also Chairman of Marine Week Boston in 2010 and Chairman of the 2001, 2006, and 2015 Medal of Honor Convention.
Mr. Lyons graduated from Boston State in 1978 and the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 1988. He has received numerous awards for his advocacy on behalf of our nation’s veterans, including the Robert H. Quinn Award for Outstanding Community Leadership from the University of Massachusetts Boston, the 2011 “Marine for Life” Award, the 2014 Commandant’s Award from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and the 2019 John W. McCormick Distinguished Public Service Award.
Mr. Lyons currently serves on several boards and committees, including the Governor’s Veterans Advisory Council, where he is Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Veterans’ Housing, the South Boston Vietnam Memorial Committee, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, ATCNE (Addiction Treatment Center New England), the Chelsea Soldiers Home, the Brighton Marine Health Center, and the Long-Term Care Commission for Veterans.
Mr. Lyons lives in Wakefield, Massachusetts with his wife Jean. They have two daughters, Sarah and Maura, and his son Todd, who is a Federal Agent in Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a Veteran of the Iraq War.