Folsom Funeral Service

Frances (Fran) Loretta (Duncklee) Mannino, a resident of Norwood, MA, peacefully died Saturday, October 14, 2023, at High Pointe House, in Haverhill, MA. She was 94. Frances was born in Boston, MA, August 28,1929. Her birth occurred during the first month and year of the Great Depression, during prohibition and when the Roaring Twenties were coming to an end. Her formative years and young adulthood were shaped by the times throughout WWII and into her marriage in the 1950s and motherhood. She was part of “The Greatest Generation,” a generation that developed great resilience in surviving hardship and solving problems. These extraordinary times were influential in molding Fran’s personal values, work ethic, commitment, and character, in addition to many others in her generation. Despite the many families that struggled during the early 20th century, it was a time when Big Band music and dance halls were popular. During her life, Frances lived in the age of rotary telephones, when radio dramas and movie theaters were the most popular source of entertainment, evolving into the age of television, home computers, cell phones, the internet and social media. Frances was gregarious, hardworking, creative and dedicated to her family. When she was 16, she started her career with New England Telephone in Boston as a part time telephone operator. After graduating from Dorchester High School for Girls in 1946 she went on to work full time for the phone company and worked her way into employee supervision, with a 15-year pause in between, helping to raise a family. After the pause, she went back to work for the phone company part time, eventually segueing into full time and finally retiring from NYNEX (formerly New England Telephone now Verizon) after over 30 years of service. Frances was the daughter of George and Florence (Hatch) Duncklee. She was the youngest of three predeceased siblings, a brother, George, and two sisters, Kay and Alberta. In 1950, Frances married Robert M. Mannino (predeceased), a U.S. Navy veteran of WWII. Frances is survived by her four children, Robert Jr. of South Hampton, NH, Marilyn Mannino and her husband Brian Walsh of Hingham, MA, Janice Kent of Yarmouth Port, MA, Lisa Falkson, and her husband Michael of Dedham, MA—seven grandchildren, Sarah, Michael, Joshua, Samuel, Nicolas, Sara and Nina. Frances also loved animals, and her family always had pets at home. As a devoted mother, Frances raised her family during a time when it was commonplace to go to church on Sunday and Sunday school, be home as a family, read the jumbo Sunday newspaper and enjoy an early afternoon dinner with all the fixings, topped off with a scrumptious home-made desert. Then later in the day, Fran was at it again, preparing a light supper for her family, followed by watching Walt Disney and the Ed Sullivan Show. As a full-time mom, she had a passion for cooking and loved to prepare her special recipes and baked goods, many learned from her own mother.

Entertaining family and guests during the holidays and special gatherings and preparing daily family suppers were among the hallmarks of her style. Frances was very creative and enjoyed arts and crafts such as sewing, knitting and fine art. She enjoyed painting landscapes and still-life artwork. While a high school student, she entered her landscape oil painting in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards competition and won the top honor—the prestigious gold key and a scholarship to art school for her painting. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is both a regional and national competition. In addition, Frances cherished pop-in visits from neighbors and family relatives which she gladly entertained with her prepared culinary treats. She also recorded her family’s holidays, vacations, cookouts, and special events with snap-shot, 8mm movie and video cameras — of her family’s early years when her children and grandchildren were infants, through their adult years. Being raised during the Great Depression, Frances learned to be thrifty and frugal. She was a talented seamstress, making her own and daughters’ clothing as young children. She also liked interior decorating. When the urge sparked her, it was not uncommon for her to paint and wallpaper her home, even into her senior years. She also was an avid reader of books and novels and active in the readings and discussions of the local social book group. Frances also enjoyed traveling, venturing overseas to Europe, as far as New Zealand and the Maine coast on a Windjammer voyage. Frances was very active in her church, Grace Episcopal Church in Norwood, attending Sunday services and the Women’s Guild, the Young at Heart Luncheons and supporting Sunday coffee hours. As one of the parishioner’s stated, “She and her desserts will be missed.” There will be a Memorial Service Saturday, November 11th, 2023 at 1pm at the Forsythe Chapel at Forest Hills Cemetery, 95 Forest Hills Avenue, Boston, MA. Donations may be made in her memory to: Grace Episcopal Church, 150 Chapel St., Norwood, MA 02062.

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Elda Maibaum was born Elda China, to Peter China and Carina Sossi, on May 23, 1923 in the borough of Manhattan, NY. Elda graduated from Hunter College in New York City and worked as an economist. She spoke Italian and French. Elda met Albert Maibaum when they were youngsters growing up New York City. Al was the son of the landlord of the China family’s apartment in Queens. Elda and Al, a World War II U.S. Army veteran, married on July 20, 1946 in New York City. They moved to Walpole, MA where Al worked as an electrical engineer at the nearby Foxboro Corporation.

Meanwhile, Elda became very involved with the local Walpole library working as their librarian. They never had any children however, over the decades, they made lifelong friends on Country Club Drive and enjoyed many family gatherings there and on the Cape. They loved dogs, owning a Doberman pinscher named Kimmie and a German short-hair named Prinz. They were avid world travelers – visiting Europe, Asia, Africa and South America together, collecting a myriad of unique memorabilia.

In 2007, Elda and Al moved to Fox Hill Village, a lovely retirement community in Westwood, MA where they settled into their new environs and made even more friends. Al passed away in 2011 but Elda continued to live independently in her apartment until 2018 when her goddaughter arranged for nursing support services at Fox Hill Village to help her live as safely and healthy as possible. Earlier this year, as part of Elda’s move to her new assisted living apartment in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, near to her goddaughter’s home, they celebrated her 100^th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Elda received commemorations for this incredible milestone from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and from Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts!

Unexpectedly in mid-August, Elda was hospitalized in Florida with pulmonary hypertension. It became a battle between a weak heart and compromised lungs. Elda fought courageously for two weeks, God bless her! But sadly, in her own words, it was “time to go”. She spent four days in hospice care before peacefully leaving this world on Sunday, August 27^th.

A memorial mass will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, December 7, 2023 at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Westwood. The service will be followed by interment at St. Francis Cemetery and a gathering at Conrad’s restaurant, both in Walpole.

Donations in lieu of flowers would be sincerely appreciated:

Option 1-The Norwood Animal Shelter – Monetary donations in memory of Elda Maibaum may be made by check, payable to “Betterment of Norwood Animal Shelter” and mailed to:

Norwood Animal Shelter

Town of Norwood

P.O. Box 40

Norwood, MA. 02062

For questions about donations, please contact Henry Cerqueira, Animal Control Officer at 781-762-3159 or hcerqueira@norwoodma.gov

Option 2-Trustbridge Hospice of Palm Beach County – Monetary donations in memory of Elda Maibaum may be made online or by check, payable to “Trustbridge” and mailed to:

Trustbridge c/o The Foundation Office

5300 East Avenue

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

https://trustbridge.com/give/

For questions about donations, please contact the Trustbridge Bereavement Center at 888-499-8393

Family Contact information:

Barbara Fawcett

7 Carrick Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL  33418

kirklandfour@msn.com

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Thomas Tolman Pond a resident of Norwood, died Thursday, October 12, 2023 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Needham. He was 77. Tom was born June 30, 1946 in Boston, Massachusetts, one of the three sons of Harlow Sanborn and Madeline Beatrice (Fish) Pond. He grew up in Westwood and attended Wentworth Institute in Boston. Tom enlisted in the US Army in 1967 and served honorably until his discharge in 1970. He worked for Cummins Diesel and then for 24 years as a heavy equipment mechanic for the CN Wood Company until his retirement in 2010. Tom was a member of the Disabled American Veterans post in Norwood, the American Legion Post in Westwood, and the Sons of the American Revolution. He was also a member of CEMA, the Construction Equipment Maintenance Association, and had served as that organizations secretary for a term. Tom is survived by his wife, Julia Lena (Pasquine) Pond; his son Nicholas A. Pond, and his wife Melissa, of Nashua, New Hampshire; his daughter, Jennifer M. Pond of Boston; and his brother, Richard H.S. Pond, and his wife Ellen, of Mendon. He was the brother of the late Franklin S. Pond. Visiting hours will be held Tuesday, October 17th from 4 to 8 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Wednesday at 11 am at the First Baptist Church, 808 High Street, Westwood followed by interment with military honors at Old Westwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans, 17 Court St., Boston, MA 02108, or to the MSPCA, 350 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130 would be appreciated.

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Henry Edwards “Tim” Russell, jr  passed away unexpectedly from pneumonia at Newton Wellesley Hospital the morning of September 28th. Tim was known by many names, including “Darls”, “Dad”,  “Poppop”, “Russ” and “The Commish”, all of which reflect a very rich and balanced life. Although he was into his 6th year of Alzheimer’s, he still knew his whole family including children and grandchildren and close friends, kept the twinkle in his eye and was able to participate in family activities on Cape Cod this summer. We are profoundly grateful that he was spared the ordeal of advanced dementia.

Tim was born in Boston on December 10, 1942 to Louise “Weegie” Harding Russell and Henry Edwards Russell. He was blessed with an amazing family, a top-notch education, a passionate love of sports and classical music, an interesting career and years packed with varied travel experiences.

His days at Dexter, Noble and Greenough and Harvard were filled with classmates, many of whom would become lifelong friends. The school and college days were rich with sports and extracurricular activities. A good athlete, Tim played three varsity sports at Nobles; football quarterback, hockey goalie and baseball catcher. But at Nobles he developed another fervent interest –  classical music. Apparently he drove his roommates crazy playing Bach and Beethoven when they were in the mood for rock ‘n’ roll. But that love of music, particularly sacred choral music, became the center of his rich spiritual life.

At Harvard, friendships deepened and multiplied. He was a goalie on the varsity hockey team,  was an enthusiastic participant in house football and  an avid member of the Owl Club.

Tim had a big extended family and he and many of his 26 Harding first cousins summered with their grandparents in Cataumet. At his telling, days from dawn to dusk were spent  sailing, swimming and boating. When not on the water, he and his siblings and cousins were found on the tennis court or “capturing the flag”.   As one friend put it, “just give Tim a ball, any ball, and within two minutes he will have invented at least three  games.”

After Harvard, he spent time in advertising, served as a business editor of Harvard magazine after which he joined Advest Financial.  Later he co-founded Investor Relations Support, Inc. (IRSCo) which worked as a liaison between  public companies and the broad investor community. One major focus was research into the geopolitics of the region, OPEC strategy and its effect  on the production and pricing of oil and the impact on the global economy .  He led over a dozen long trips to virtually every country in the region, introducing his clients to ambassadors, prime ministers, oil and finance ministers and several heads of state on multiple occasions –  including King Hussein of Jordan, Hafez al-Assad of Syria and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt.

As a longtime member of The Country Club in Brookline, Tim took to paddle tennis with a vengeance. Known to the paddle teams as one of the three “Paddle Gods” at TCC,  he engineered the expansion of the paddle league  to over 12 clubs each with multiple lines.   The infamous close-knit B Team would designate Tim “The Commish” for his 10-year role as TCC Paddle Chair and commissioner of the league.

His  commitment to classical music was pursued throughout his entire life. He studied classical music  and sang with the university choir at Harvard. After graduation, he sang with the  Dedham Choral Society, then followed  Brian Jones to Trinity Church Boston where he not only sang for 15 years with the choir but helped arrange two international trips during which the choir performed at multiple locations in England and  in Prague, Budapest and Vienna. Subsequently, Tim and Brian co-founded the Copley Singers, an elite group of voices, some professional and some members of the Tanglewood Chorus. The Copley singers have engagements around Boston but have also performed in Bermuda and were honored to sing – along from choirs from Pennsylvania and Washington DC   – at the memorial service at Trinity Wall Street after the 9/11 attacks.

Just as some of the happiest times of Tim’s young life were spent on Cape Cod, so were his later years. He and his wife, Dianne, spent their summers in or near the same little cove on which Tim had grown up. They established a “Cape Week” for the grandchildren during which parents were not allowed. Those weeks were packed with every conceivable water activity, tennis matches, field trips,  games and nighttime poetry readings, songs and prayers. After the sacrosanct sunsets, each evening Meema and Poppop hosted quite proper family dinners during which the cousins would challenge each other to an amazingly high standard of table manners.

Tim leaves his wife of 42 years, Dianne Hyde Russell;  his son Henry Edwards  “Tim” Russell, III,  and wife Natasha: his son Ward West Russell and wife Nicole;  his stepson Gregory Hyde Williams and wife Francoise and his brother William Eustis “Bill” Russell his wife Jan and three children, Jonathan, Whitney and Kristen.  He leaves also the six apples of his eye, Amelia and Timmy Russell, Austin and Eliza Russell and Isabella and Cavanagh Williams.

A Celebration of  Tim’s Life Will be held at Trinity Church Boston sometime in early November.
Contributions may be made to  the Cure Alzheimers Fund, 34 Washington St, Suite 310, Wellesley Hills, MA 02481 or online at http://curealz.org

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Shirley Ann (Travis) Peterson, a resident of Willow Crossing in Mansfield, and formerly of Norwood, died Monday, September 25, 2023 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton. She was 85. Shirley was born September 17, 1938 in Boston, Massachusetts, a daughter of Harold Leslie and Elizabeth Duncan (Meldrum) Travis. Shirley worked for 35 years as a draftswoman and mechanical engineer for Factory Mutual in Norwood. She was a former Rainbow Girl, and a proud Scottsman, who enjoyed bingo, playing card games, and happy hour with her friends at the Village at Willow Crossing. Shirley was the wife of the late Richard Henry Peterson who predeceased her in 2013. She is survived by her son, Gary Peterson, and his wife Jaime, of Wrentham; her daughter Penni Buonora, and her husband Vincent, of Mansfield; her sister, Judy Barrett, and her husband Roger, of Norwood; her 8 grandchildren, Eric, Vinny, Elissa, Kristina, Christopher, Samantha, Julia, and Valaree; and her two great-grandchildren, Paige and Vinny. Visiting hours will be held Thursday, October 5th from 4 to 8 pm at the Folsom & May Funeral Home, 85 Nichols St, Norwood. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral Friday at 11 am at the funeral home followed by interment in Highland Cemetery, Norwood. Donations in her memory to the Wounded Warriors Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 would be appreciated.

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David “Dave” Milton Seale, 91, of 58 Sanderson Ave., Dedham, MA, died peacefully of natural causes on September 8, 2023 at Lowell General Hospital, Lowell, MA.

David was born on June 28, 1932 and was delivered on the kitchen table of his grandparents’ parsonage on Cottage Street in Ridgewood, New Jersey.  David lived in Dedham from the age of 3 (1935).  His parents, H. Herbert and Genevieve Seale, were active in the Dedham community between 1905 and 1980.  The family was involved with both The Church of the Good Shepard and the First Church and Parish –Unitarian Universalist.  From 1934 – 1940, David lived at 311 Colburn St in Dedham until the family moved to 58 Sanderson Ave in 1941.   David attended the Avery and Oakdale elementary schools and Dedham Middle School and High School, graduating in 1951. 

David grew up during US depression times (1929-1939) and during WWII (1939 to 1945).  He shared countless memories of growing up in Dedham during these times.  His stories evoked a simple but rich life, not unlike scenes from Huckleberry Fin or a Norman Rockwell painting. Memories included helping tend the family Victory Garden both at his house and in a shared plot across from the Endicott Estate; canning of fruits and vegetables and composting, and; the egg man coming around once a week.  His many jobs from late elementary school through junior high included the classics of mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, paper routes, babysitting, gardening, cleaning windows.

From age 9, Dave’s lifelong love of airplanes was well underway.  He designed and built hundreds of model planes during elementary and middle school.  A favorite past-time with friends was riding his bike to watch the WWII planes land at the Canton air field; and from his aunt’s house on top of Curve Terrace in Dedham, he’d watch the training flights at Readville, Hyde Park.  During the presidential election of 1940, he still recalled seeing the spot lights on Blue Hill that were set to shine if Wendell Wilke won the election.  The family was on the lookout for the lights, but Wendell was not to win!

Dave’s first real job in junior high was tending the neighbor’s, Mr. Lester Chilson’s, rose garden on Saturday mornings.  He was paid the prevailing minimum wage, $ 0.40/hour.  Mr. Chilson was New England VP of the American Rose Society and his backyard show garden was, by all reports, spectacular.  Adding to this fact, Grampa Herbie himself had over 100 rose bushes.  We suspect that this may be where Dad developed his distaste for roses. 

In Junior High, Dave marched with his drum early every Monday morning to Endicott Station, accompanying the WWII draftees as they prepared to board the train to Boston.  He carried vivid memories of the large black steam engine.  Junior high memories also included ballroom dancing lessons, collecting newspapers, tin cans, tires and iron scraps to recycle for the war effort, and rationing of foods such as butter, milk and sugar.  Later jobs during high school included setting bowling pins at the “Liedenkrantz” German club in West Roxbury.  He also worked at the Oakdale drug store as a soda jerk and helped build numerous homes in the Dedham area. 

Dave joined the Navy Submarine Corps reserves during his senior year of high school in 1950, at the beginning of the Korean War.  After high school, Dave joined the Naval Air Service (NAS), attending Aviation Prep School in Jacksonville, FL for training in electronics in 1952.  He was then assigned to the NAS aviation electronics technician’s school in Memphis, TN.  Dave married his high-school sweetheart, Rosemarie Whitty from Quincy Street, Dedham on Aug. 15, 1952 in Memphis.  Dave’s next Navy assignment was to Corpus Christie, TX.  In Corpus Christie, Dave was part of a squadron that serviced the electronic equipment on the Martin PBM Mariner.  After being honorably discharged from the Navy at the end of the Korean War in 1953, David spent two years at UMass Amherst, where he studied descriptive geometry and mechanical drafting.  Although his study was cut short due to chronic eye conditions that emerged at this time, his UMass study would serve him well in his many years of design drafting and mechanical engineering to follow. 

For the initial years of his post-war/cold war career, Dave held a series of drafting positions in smaller companies in MA and CT.  Following this, he honed his drafting and management skills at Sylvania (Needham, Waltham, MA) (1959); Itek (Lexington, MA) (1968) and Raytheon (Sudbury, MA).  In December 1960, Dave and Rose moved their growing family of 5 into a new home at 70 Helen Drive in Marlboro.  While at Sylvania, Dave worked on the “Mobi Dick” project for the Air Force (reconnaissance balloons using cameras).  At Raytheon, he worked on the COMSAT (commercial communications satellite) system.  Dave and Rosemarie divorced in 1977.   While working at Itek in late 1979 designing camera projects for planes and satellites, Dave met and then married his soulmate, Irene Alice McNeil from Somerville, MA on July 17, 1980.  They were happily married for 43 years.

Dave was an avid, accomplished sailor for over 30 years, sailing primarily out of Beverly, Salem and Marian, MA.  He sailed three boats during this time:  Velaa-se (1972-1978 – 25’ sloop, Beverly, Salem, Wareham, MA); Rainbow (1980-1982 – 31” Cheoy Lee Ketch, Marion, MA); Shearwater (1988 – 33’ Cheoy Lee Cutter/Ketch, Marion, MA). 

Beginning in 2000, following his sailing years, Dave was active in the Millis Model Aircraft Club, Millis, MA and the South Shore RC Club in Bridgewater, MA.  At one point the guys at Millis RC Club joked that they should rename the club to the David Seale RC Club since he was the treasurer, the newsletter editor, the secretary, and chaired several fun fly activities. He built dozens of RC planes from scratch and his RC work led him to interactions with people across the country.

Dad (and Mom) made it a point to share their wholesome upbring to their large family. They were adventurers at heart…sailing, airplanes, camping, hiking, biking, motor-boating and water-skiing, scouts, and sports.  Our many camping trips as a family took us throughout New England and Eastern Canada.  These were highlights of our summers growing up and we have the slides to prove it.

Dad had an amazing affinity for building. He could dream it, plan it, source it and build it – be it an outdoor patio, a vegetable garden, house additions, remodeling his three ocean going sailboats or even school projects and Pinewood Derby cars for scouting.  He did just about all work himself and he taught his children how to build their projects.

While not always a model student in school, he excelled in any area that interested him, such as geometry, sailing – a true lover of learning. He was an encyclopedia and lover of music and movies.  Most nights he slept with a radio tucked under his pillow to enjoy many genres of music and late-night talk shows; and if you had a movie question, he could answer it by recalling hundreds of movies and actors.

An independent thinker who preferred forming his own opinions and setting his own agenda.  He could be tough to influence.  This trait was on full display even as a high school student who, when enlisting in the Navy, was the only person in his group of friends who did not get a tattoo.  He enjoyed being an occasional non-conformist, especially if there was an element of humor associated with it. Dad passed these traits onto his six children.

In many ways, Dave was a straight-forward person, one who strove to keep things simple, never seeking the limelight.  Someone who lived by traditional, time-tested values.  Yet he was also a person of depth and substance, one with the enormous accomplishment from a lifetime of keeping his nose to the grindstone each day.

He was a jokester – a trait we believe he acquired from his grandfather, the Rev. Milton Muder, adding his own “Dad-isms” to the ongoing comedy routine.  Several of his children have adopted this similar trait.

Dad never met a dog he didn’t like and always had a few treats in his pockets. He had several dogs growing up and was extremely fond of them.  He would recollect stories from the days before leash laws that captured the lives and adventures of the individual dogs in the neighborhood, especially the dogs who kept Grandpa Herbie company along his postal routes.  He also cared for the backyard animals, as well as the neighbor’s cat, “Little Dude” – much like his parents and grandparents did before him.

David is predeceased by his parents, H. Herbert Seale and Genevieve Seale of Dedham, MA, his sister, Margaret Seale Bridges of Pittsford, NY and Gilmanton, NH, his ex-wife, Rosemarie Whitty Seale of Dedham, MA and his grand-daughter, Nicole Seale of Marlboro, MA.

David is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Irene Alice McNeil Seale, of Somerville and Dedham, MA.  He is also survived by his 6 children: Marilyn Seale Real and husband, Edward Real (Nashua, NH); Lee Seale Connor and husband, Gary Connor (Madison, AL); Eugene David Seale (Lawrenceville, GA); Barry David Seale (Worcester, MA); David Kenneth Seale (Hudson, NH); and, Christine Seale Breault and husband, Richard Breault (Charlton, MA).  David is also survived by his sixteen grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.

We will remember Dad as a loving husband and father for his family. He was always available, always encouraging.  We learned that when dad was around it was FUN!

Dad will be missed by everyone who knew him, especially his children and grandchildren.

“May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.”

We thank Folsom’s Funeral Home in Dedham, MA.   A private memorial gathering is planned by the immediate family. Upon Irene’s passing there will be a joint service and burial at Holy Cross Cemetery in Malden, MA.

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Paul C. Lyons, 84, of Raynham, formerly of Middleboro and Walpole, passed away peacefully at the Brockton VA Medical Center on September 24, 2023.

Paul was the dear father of Sheryl L. Crowell of Ashburn, VA,  Russell P. Lyons and his wife Roselyn S. Lyons of Chapin, SC, Crystal G. Lyons, and her dear friend Jamie Ryan, of Raynham, Sandra J. Ganguly, and her husband Promeet, of Franklin, and Jennifer S. Bloch, and her husband David, of Norton.  Brother of Richard G. Lyons, and his wife Grace, of Glen Ellyn, IL, and their son Rick Lyons of Schaumburg, IL, Frances M. Diodati, and her husband Gene, of Nokomis, FL, and their children, Tina Diodati of Deerfield, WI and Mark Diodati of Waukesha,WI and the late Maurice Joseph Lyons.  Former husband of Arlene Lyons.  Proud grandfather of Makaila, Dalton, Garrett, Jake, Drake, Lynzie, Kelsie and Avril Lyons, Taylor Asbell, Kiaralyn Ryan, and Sarina Ganguly.

Paul was born in Cambridge in 1938 and attended schools there. In his teens, Paul enjoyed playing pool and was an avid weightlifter. After graduating from Cambridge High And Latin in 1956, he enlisted in the Navy, was stationed on the USS Bennington out of San Diego, and served honorably until 1959. Paul’s loving mother, Abby, who always put her children first and enjoyed taking them to Nantasket beach as often as possible, passed while he was in the service. He took it upon himself to help look after his young sister whenever he could. After being discharged from the Navy, Paul enrolled at Boston University where he met a lovely young woman, Arlene, who would go on to become his wife and the mother of his five beautiful children: Sheryl, Russell, Crystal, Sandra, and Jennifer.

At Boston University, Paul received a BA, Masters, and PhD (1969), all in Geology.

Paul was a professor of Science at Boston University. Whenever he looked back on his teaching career, he liked to recount the story of how he once assigned a grade of F to the daughter of two very prominent Hollywood celebrities because “she earned it”. The student’s parents were a very big deal back then, but Paul wasn’t going to sacrifice his ethics simply because he enjoyed watching their movies!

In 1977, a pivotal moment in Paul’s life took place when he was asked to join the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Reston, Virginia. This honor instilled a burning excitement in Paul and he worked tirelessly over the next two plus decades to unearth valuable fossils while also significantly furthering research within his field. Not surprisingly, he was asked to speak at conferences worldwide. Much of Paul’s work focused on coal and plant fossils and some of it is still formally housed at the Smithsonian Institution and Harvard University.

Paul retired from the USGS in 1999 but his love for Geology never ceased. At home, he covered table after table with rocks and fossils and wrote paper after paper for publication in prestigious scientific journals. He was often asked by former colleagues to proof their manuscripts for publication. At the time of his passing, his personal publications numbered in the hundreds and many can be found on https://scholar.google.com/. (Search on Paul C. Lyons).

Paul was the ultimate family man and spent most of his free time with his 5 children and 11 grandchildren. He became so immersed in the fun that he was often lovingly referred to as an oversized kid. This was especially true on family beach vacations at Ocean City, Maryland and Cape Cod.

Paul loved family gatherings and was constantly asking who was hosting the next one. At these events, he favored playing Bid Whist. He played conservatively and smartly. If his partner took too many risks and cost their team the win, Paul would grimace and swiftly move his partner to another team. He would then chuckle about it and ask someone to bring him a slice of pie if they “happened to be passing by the kitchen”. Paul also loved playing Rummy, Cribbage, and 45 and was a solid poker player. It was rumored that he paid off his Boston University undergraduate tuition loans with winnings from a poker game that took place while he was in the Navy.

Paul lived for watching Westerns and classic movies. You could forget about catching his attention if good ole John Wayne was on the screen when you stepped into the room. Unless you had food.

Paul loved to eat and had refined culinary tastes. He scoffed at the idea of stopping at fast food restaurants. It was filet mignon at The Longhorn steakhouse, sea scallops at a fancy seafood restaurant, or all-you-can-eat prime rib at the Bonfire buffet in Ocean City (his favorite).

Paul was passionate about music: “Danny Boy”, “I Did It My Way”, and “Release Me” were some of his favorites.

Paul adored his cat, Ireland, who was named after Paul’s ancestry. Paul’s father, Maurice, a pipe-smoking blacksmith from County Cork in Ireland, arrived in the United States in 1926. Paul was very proud to be Irish and looked forward to each St. Patrick’s Day several months in advance. His sister, Fran, enjoyed preparing a special batch of her delicious soda bread recipe, an Irish favorite, for Paul. In addition to being very close to Fran, Paul was equally close to his two brothers: Dick and Joe.

Paul’s proudest achievement was raising five wonderful children. A few months before he passed, he was quoted as saying, “I never had the desire to be a millionaire. My family is worth far more than that!” How he chose to live his life affirms this belief. Paul lived for his family and his legacy of family values is carried on by his 5 children.

 Visiting hours Sun 2-5 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton St., Dedham.  Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary’s Church, 420 High St, Dedham Monday at 10 ‘o clock.  Interment with military honors will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury.

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Ronald P. McDonald, age 91 of Dedham, MA passed away on September 17, 2023.  Born in Dedham, on January 14, 1932, he was the son of Joseph F. McDonald of Dedham and Isabella S. (McMaster) McDonald of Kilmarnock, Scotland. Loving husband of 69 years to his wife Marilyn Ann (Sullivan) McDonald, devoted father to daughters Stacey Marie (McDonald) Magro and husband Paul R. Magro of Mashpee, MA, and Wendy Marie (McDonald) Loewen and husband Mark F. Loewen of Plainville, MA.  Proud Grampy to Kyle, Isabella, Amanda and Sarah.

Ronnie was a Dedham High School graduate , class of 1950. He served in the  US Army during the Korean war, and was a member of the Retired Dedham Men’s Club. Ronnie loved spending time with his family, traveling, playing golf, bird watching and cheering on his grandchildren through all their sports activities.  He had a quick sense of humor and a beautiful smile. He will forever be missed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. Private interment.

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Sarah Louise Oliver, of Westwood, formerly of Brighton and of the active Traditions Community of Dedham, passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 14, 2023 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Needham surrounded by loving family members.. She was 85. Sarah was born November 10, 1937 in Newton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Margarete (Ross) and Charles W. Oliver, immigrants from Nova Scotia. She grew up in Brighton and graduated from Our Lady of the Presentation High School in Brighton. She went on to work as a clerk at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston until her retirement in 1999.

Sarah was the dear sister to Ella Gleason, Stephanie Della-Chiara, and the late Francis Oliver, Marie Doyle, and Florence Hannon and is survived by
her nieces, Debbie Gallagher, Donna Gillis, Diane Horan, Tina Seilor, Lynn Gleason, Patricia Hannon, Theresa Hannon, Judy Oliver, Joanne Oliver, and Janet Oliver and her nephews, Robert Gleason, Brian Gleason, James Gleason, Stephen Gleason, Kevin Gleason, Charles Hannon, William Hannon, John Hannon, Thomas Hannon, and John Oliver. Sarah is predeceased by Peggy Hannon, Stephen Hannon, and Ronald Hannon.
There are countless other close family members and friends whom Sarah adored. She always spoke fondly of her Perthshire Road and Brighton neighbors.  

Sarah cherished her large family. She hosted generations of family members at her home on Perthshire Road. Endless memories were made there, including an annual Easter egg hunt.  Sarah longed for her time “downeast”. Her cottage is an icon of Arisag Harbor, Nova Scotia. There, she spent time with her Canadian cousins. In 2011, Sarah adopted her dog, Dixie. From then on, the two were inseparable. Faith was important to Sarah. She was a lifetime parishioner of  Presentation Parish in Brighton, Massachusetts.  Sarah’s other interests included playing bingo, traveling, collecting rocks, and attending big and small family events

One year ago, due to changes in health, Sarah needed to move closer to her family. She took up residence at Traditions, an assisted living in Dedham. In recent conversations, she referred to Traditions as her “new home.” She quickly bonded with the amazing staff and residents. Her days were filled with activities, excursions, porch sitting, and conversation, as was her pastime in Brighton. Sarah will forever be a beacon of light. Her legacy will continue to guide the futures of everyone she loves. 

Visiting hours will be Monday, September 18, from 4:00-8:00 at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood, Massachusetts. Relatives and friends are invited to gather at the funeral home starting at 9 am on Tuesday and proceed with us to St. Denis Church, 157 Washington Street, Westwood for her funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, West Roxbury, Massachusetts.  In lieu of flowers, family and friends wishing to remember Sarah are invited to contribute to the Alzheimer’s Association or the charity of their choice. 

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Edna Marie (Sullivan) Holland, a fun-loving wife, mother, and “Nana” who is known by her loved ones for her fiery personality, devout love for family, and infectious spirit, died Sept. 11 in Boston. She was 79. 

Edna was born on Aug. 8, 1944, in Boston, raised in Winchester, and in 1964, she married her husband, Joseph Holland. Edna and Joe had two kids, Kathleen (Holland) Scales and John Holland, who they raised in Hingham. As a family, the Hollands enjoyed spending time in Harwich during the summer, skiing in New Hampshire, and traveling to Florida, especially to Disney World.

Edna’s hobbies included playing golf, baking, sewing, making Nantucket baskets, traveling, listening to Irish music, and gardening the collection of blue hydrangeas in her yard. 

Edna’s favorite memories are the ones she made with her children and grandchildren on Cape Cod — visiting the bumper boats and trampoline parks in Harwich, having lobster cookouts, and getting ice cream at Sundae School in HarwichPort, to name just a few.

After dinner on summer nights, Edna loved going outside to the golf course in her backyard with her family to play golf, a small tradition she loved. John would lead the family in chipping and putting tournaments, while Edna’s youngest grandchildren would cartwheel around the fairway as the sun set. 

When her older grandchildren were young, Edna brought them on “mystery rides” to do various activities ranging from getting flu shots to watching the Big Apple Circus in Boston, memories her grandchildren warmly remember. 

Edna also loved animals. Edna’s children remember when she brought home a cat when they were kids, against Joe’s wishes. Edna, Katie, and John hid the cat, “Erin,” in their basement, where they cared for her out of Joe’s sight. Nonetheless, Joe discovered Erin and learned to coexist with the family’s pet. In her last few years, Edna loved spending time with her family’s dogs, Bogey, Daisy, and Finley.  

Edna also loved going on family vacations. Notably, Joe remembers traveling to Europe with her many times, most importantly to Ireland where she enjoyed celebrating her heritage. Edna’s family also remembers traveling to Oahu and Maui in 2007 and taking several trips to Disney World where Edna ate her favorite dessert, Dole Whip. 

Edna was also a beloved host among her family and friends, throwing festive July Fourth parties and days-long Thanksgiving gatherings. 

Every summer since 2000, Edna hosted a Fourth of July party, complete with food, drinks, a moonwalk bounce house, and a professional fireworks display she relished with her family on the fairway in her backyard. 

And in Edna’s family, Thanksgiving is not a one-day celebration, but a family affair that lasts four days every year. On Thanksgiving day, Edna would cook an elaborate dinner for her family, complete with several turkeys and dozens of her famous whoopie pies. Come Friday, more of Edna’s family would arrive at her home and annual family traditions would ensue — walking around Mashpee Commons, eating dinner at Bobby Byrne’s, and shopping in downtown Chatham. 

Edna’s loved ones remember her for her devout adoration for her family, fiery personality, and her “Nanaisms.” Nana had many insightful sayings she frequently expressed to her children and grandchildren — “it is what it is,” “stay out of harm’s way,” and “you’re full of malarkey!” Edna’s family will remember her Nanaisms, with lots of laughter, for years to come. 

After a short but fervent battle with lung cancer, Edna passed away, surrounded by her family. 

Edna is survived by: her husband, Joseph Holland; her daughter, Kathleen (Holland) Scales and her husband, Matt Scales; her son, John Holland and his wife, Kara (O’Brien) Holland; her beloved grandchildren, Nicholas Scales, Ryan Scales, Margaret Scales, Grace Holland, and Faith Holland, and her sister, Marion Sullivan. 

Edna is predeceased by: her parents, Alice Sullivan and William Sullivan; her sister, Elaine (Sullivan) Loeffler, and her brother, William Sullivan. 

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, Sept. 14, at Folsom Funeral Service at 649 High Street, Westwood, MA, from 4PM to 7PM. A funeral will be held on Friday, Sept. 15, at Saint Edward’s Parish at 133 Spring Street, Medfield, MA, at 11:30AM. There will be a private burial on a separate date.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. To send in a donation by mail, fill out this form and mail it to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284-9168.

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