Folsom Funeral Service

Joyce Emily (Johnson) Huntington, a longtime resident of Westwood, died Thursday, September 7, 2023 at the Baypointe Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Brockton. She was 90. Joyce was born November 12, 1932 in Boston, Massachusetts, the only child of Carl Arthur and Julia B. (Barbarick) Johnson. She was a graduate of Norwood High School and earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Skidmore College in 1954. She worked as a secretary for Norwood Cadillac, her father’s automobile dealership. Joyce was a talented artist in all forms of painting, and a member of the Westwood Art Association. She is survived by her son, Stephen M. Huntington, and his wife Ann, of Norwood; her daughter, Carla Abbate, and her husband Thomas, of Naples, Florida; her four grandchildren, Cara Raulerson, Stephen M. Huntington, Jr., Stacey Good, and Scott Huntington; and eight great-grandchildren, James and Cailey Raulerson, Dillon Huntington, Brandon Dauley, Bridget and Peter Good, and Gavin and Timothy Huntington; and her cousin Jean Barbarick of Walpole. She was the grandmother of the late Christin Capozzoli. Services and interment in Highland Cemetery in Norwood will be private.

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Robert Brand Hanson, of Shirley, Massachusetts and formerly a longtime resident of Dedham, died Saturday, September 2, 2023 at his home in Shirley. He was 77. Bob was born July 2, 1946 in Norwood, Massachusetts, the only son, and the middle child of the three children of John Andrew and Virginia May (Gibson) Hanson. He graduated from Dedham High School with the Class of 1964 and from the Class of 1968 from Harvard University in Cambridge. Bob was the Executive Secretary for the Town of Dedham for many years and later served as the Town Manager for the towns of Pepperell and Ashby. A noted historian, Bob served as the President of the Dedham Historical Society. He was the third generation to hold the position of secretary for the Society in Dedham for the Apprehension of Horsethieves, and a proud member of the National Lancers, a ceremonial cavalry squadron of the Massachusetts Organized Militia. In addition, he had been a member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Treasurer for Allin Congregational Church in Dedham, a member of the Sons of Norway, and he attended Andover-Newton Theological School for a year. In some spare time he taught himself Norwegian. Bob is survived by his two sisters, Joanne A. Hanson, and Doris L. Walker, both of Dedham; two nieces, Kristen Overman, of Williamsburg, Virginia, and Andrea Wright of Sedona, Arizona; and two nephews, Scott Stone of Dover, New Hampshire and Erik Walker of Pasadena, California. He was a longtime partner of the late Martha Koziol. A Memorial Service will be held on September 30th at 1 pm at the Allin Congregational Church, 683 High Street, Dedham. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Allin Congregational Church, 683 High St, Dedham, MA 02026, or to the Dedham Museum and Archive (Dedham Historical Society), 612 High St., Dedham, MA 02026, or online at https://www.dedhammuseum.org , would be appreciated.

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Martha Jean Rainey, a longtime resident of Dedham, died Thursday, September 7, 2023 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Needham. She was 81. Martha was born October 10, 1941 in Easton, Massachusetts the youngest daughter of Bernard James Jr., and Mary Elizabeth (Cruikshank) Talbot. She graduated from Oliver Ames High School in Easton and earned her Bachelor degree in English from Northeastern University. Martha worked in the personnel department as the benefits director for Norfolk and Dedham Insurance Company in Dedham until her retirement in 2006. She volunteered as a Cub Scout Pack leader when her sons were young. Martha enjoyed league bowling and roller skating at Roll Land in Norwood. She was the partner of the late Charles Chase, mother of the late Erik L. Rainey, and was grandmother to an angel grandchild. She is survived by her son, Glenn M. Rainey, and his wife Jean, of Dedham; her daughter Lynn Rainey, and her fiance, Eric, of Scituate; five grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Visiting hours will be held Sunday, September 10th from 5pm to 7:30 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 7:30 pm. Interment will be private.

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Karl “Dr. K” Rubenis, age 78 of Springfield, previously of Boston, died Friday, September 1st, 2023 from complications of a cardiac arrest and after gracefully enduring over 20 years of Parkinson’s Disease. Recently predeceased by his beloved brother Arvid G on August 8 and his parents Arvid E and Jadviga (Grebezs) Rubenis. Dear uncle to Mona Inocentes and her husband Bismarck of West Roxbury and Rudy Rubenis and his wife Mary of Winchester. He also leaves behind two grandnieces, one grandnephew and one great grandniece. Also survived by his longtime devoted friend and caregiver Peter Lemieux and his wife Sherry. Karl was a kind, quiet, generous soul who had an impact on countless lives. His love for seeking out antiques and collectibles, his eye for an irresistible bargain, and his dry humor were unmatched. A 1964 graduate of Boston Latin School and late VP at Fleet Bank, Karl retired in the early 2000’s and moved from Boston to Springfield where he established many more friendships and lived his best life possible. Karl was well loved and will be greatly missed by many. Visiting hours will be held Wednesday from 10 am to noon at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham followed by a graveside service at the Gardens at Gethsemane Cemetery, Baker Street, West Roxbury at 12:30 pm.

Please consider supporting Parkinson’s research by donating to The Michael J. Fox Foundation (https://give.michaeljfox.org). 

The family would like to extend their appreciation to the staff in the Medical ICU, on Daly 6A and the Inpatient Hospice Team at Baystate Medical Center for their kindness and compassion. 

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Martha Minetta (Meckel) Robertson died on July 11,2023 in Cary North Carolina with her daughters by her side. She was 100 years old. Martha was a resident of Dedham for 94 years and moved to North Carolina at the age of 94 to be close to her daughters. Mrs. Robertson was born at home on May 1st, 1923 in Dedham, Massachusetts, the only daughter of Lewis and Anna (Ferris) Meckel. She graduated from Dedham High School in 1938 and from Wilfred Beauty Academy in 1940 after which she worked as a hairdresser in Roslindale, Massachusetts. Martha was married to the late Stewart Struan Robertson for 64 years. Martha was an active member of the Allin Congregational Church, and the Dedham Women’s Club. She loved being a homemaker and taking care of her family. She is survived by her two daughters, Carol R. Milld, and her husband Alan A., of Holly Springs, of North Carolina, and Susan J. Butler, and her husband Paul, also of Holly Springs, North Carolina; her three grandchildren, John S. Lakian, and his fiance Barrie Yuspeth, of San Francisco, California, Todd R. Butler of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Allison M. Clements, and her husband Simon R., of Chicago, Illinois; as well as her two twin great-grandsons, Jackson S. and Nicolas R. Clements. Relatives and friends are invited to gather with the family on Saturday, September 16th at 10:30 am at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton Street, Dedham followed by a Memorial Service in the funeral home at 11 ‘o clock. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers donations to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.

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Age 89, of Dedham, passed away August 28, 2023, beloved wife of 63 years to Carl (Hank) Sundquist who was with her at her bedside.  She was the daughter of the late Albert and Annie Hamn.  She is survived by her husband, three children (Jon, Jody, and Steve Sundquist), and five grandchildren (James, Karin, Kajsa, Devon, and Darren Sundquist).  She touched countless people as a lifelong educator, providing her children with a nurturing learning environment and serving as a founding director and teacher of St. John’s Nursery School in Westwood for 25 years.  She brightened everyone’s lives with her creative skills in music, sewing, knitting, and her great sense of humor.  She was a very active member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, including alter guild, quilter, and singing in the choir for years where she met Hank. They both enjoyed singing and traveling with the Dedham Choral Society throughout Europe on many occasions.  She always enjoyed family vacations and treasured these times and experiences.  She loved swimming, entertaining, and laughing.  Evie made us all laugh and will be greatly missed!

The family will receive visitors on Friday 9/1 at Folsom Funeral home in Dedham from 4 to 8 PM.  A funeral service will be celebrated on Saturday 9/2 at 10 am at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 24 Berwick Street, Norwood, MA.

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William Edward Burke III, a resident of Bridgewater, and formerly of Dedham died Sunday, August 27, 2023 at the Morton Hospital in Taunton after a brief illness. he was 70. Ed was born April 29, 1953 in Dedham, Massachusetts the son of William Edward Jr. and Shirley (Johnson) Burke. He graduated from the Peterson School and worked in the HVAC industry as a steam engineer for the last 20 years for Massport. Ed was a member of Aleppo Temple Shrine in Wilmington, of Constellation Lodge in Dedham (now Celestial Lodge AF & AM), and was affiliated with Union Lodge AF & AM of Norwood. In addition he was a member of the Scottish Rite of Masonry in Lexington, a member of the Cape Cod Salties fishing club, and a member of the Engineers’ Blue Room Club. Ed was the beloved husband of Sandra Maria (Murphy) Thornton Burke and the father of William Edward Burke IV of West Virginia, and Shannon Hubbard D’Oliverio. He is also survived by his stepson, Kevin Edward Thornton, and his wife Elizabeth, of Foxborough, and Sean James Thornton, and his wife Danielle, of Holden; his brothers, James Burke, and his wife Ellen, of Rehobeth, and Roland Burke of Framingham; as well as 2 grandchildren. Ed was the brother of the late Amy Waddell. Visiting hours will be held Thursday, September 31st from 3 to 6 pm at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High Street, Westwood. Ed’s funeral will be held Friday, September 1st at 10 am at the Funeral Home followed by burial in Mount Prospect Cemetery in Bridgewater. In lieu of flowers donations to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, 51 Blossom St, Boston, MA 02114 or online at https://www.shrinerschildrens.org/en/locations/boston  and select “Boston” as the destination for your donation.

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Paul Crisafulli, of Bridgewater, and formally of Medway, passed away on Friday, August 25, 2023, at the Deutsches Altenheim German Centre in West Roxbury after a lengthy illness. He was 80 years old. Paul was born in Boston on December 31, 1942, and was the son of the late Joseph and Ernestine (Ionnilli) Crisafully. Growing up in West Roxbury, Paul attended and graduated from Roslindale High School. He decided to further his studies and attend the Boston Architectural Center, where he earned a Certificate of Architecture. He spent many years working in the architectural field before starting his own company in 1981.

Paul enjoyed spending time with his family and his trips to Milford, NH and to Hampton Beach. He especially loved to travel with his wife Heather. They were fortunate enough to experience trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Europe, and many places in the Untied States. However, they would always return to Ocean Park, ME. Later in life, Paul became an avid home chef and cooked many memorable meals for his family and friends.

Paul was the devoted husband of Heather Crisafulli for over 59 years. He is survived by his two children; Paul S. Crisafulli and his wife Karen, and Kenneth J. Crisafulli and his wife Cara. He was the beloved Papa to Gabrielle Doughty and her husband Christopher, Alex Crisafulli, Jacob Crisafulli, and Nicole Crisafulli, and Great Papa to Ryder Doughty. Devoted brother to Jeanne Giusti, Anthony Crisafulli and his wife Andrea, the late Joseph Crisafulli, and the late Anne Antonelli.

Services for Paul will be held on Friday, September 1, 2023, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 24 Berwick Street, Norwood, MA 02062, at 10 AM. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Emmanuel Lutheran Church (address above) would be appreciated.

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Dagmara Strautin, nee Putnaerglis, age 99, of Dedham, Mass. passed away August 22, 2023 after a brief illness.

Born June 1, 1924 in Riga, Latvia to Rudolf and Olga Putnaerglis. She was educated in nursing and medicine in Latvia and Germany prior to World War II. When the Soviet army invaded Latvia, she and her family fled to Germany and Austria.  In 1949 she was able to take a troop ship to Boston where her sponsors were located. When in Boston, she met Arnold Strautin whom she later married on June 9, 1951. She is survived by children, Imants (MarySue) Strautin from Manheim, PA; Normund (Noreen) Strautin of Chelsea, MA; Astra Strautin (Rick Trani-deceased) of Dedham, MA; and Melinda (Timothy) Stockman of Mechanicville, NY.  She is also survived by eight grandchildren, Benjamin (Lanie), Elizabeth, Krista (Tim), Joel (Erica), Leslie (Michael), Renee (Joseph), Rebecca, and Stephanie, as well as fifteen great grandchildren and one on the way. She is also survived by nephews and nieces, especially Nancy Dudman who was instrumental in the care of Dagmara’s parents in their later years.

Dagmara worked at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston. She also used her knowledge of many languages to translate documents for F.W. Faxon in Westwood, MA until she retired. She was active and dedicated to the Latvian Baptist Church of Boston and to First Baptist Church of Dedham. After the death of her husband in November 1973, she continued to raise her children to be followers of Jesus. She loved her church and would sing in the choir, play piano, and baked Latvian Piragi and fancy decorated tortes for special church occasions.  She loved her sweets to the very last day. She loved her Bible and read it daily.  Her generous nature would bring her to host missionaries and send care packages to the needs of those in Latvia.

She was a loving and generous mom and will be sorely missed.

Viewing will be held at the Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton St, Dedham, MA on Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 2pm-3:30pm.  A brief service will follow at 3:30pm.  The burial will take place at The Gardens at Gethsemane Cemetery in West Roxbury on Monday, August 28, 2023 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Latvian Baptist Church, c/o Juris Alksnitis, 10 Rocky Brook Road, Dover, MA 02030.  The funds will be designated for the pension fund for retired Baptist pastors in Latvia

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Ann “Nancy” Jane Systrom passed away on the morning of November 14, 2021 at the age of 89 in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Nancy is survived by two sisters, Deirdre and Rebecca, as well as eight children, thirteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren scattered across the United States. 

Born to Rebecca and William Gilmartin in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1932, Nancy was the fifth of six children and grew up in the midst of the great depression. She met her future husband, Ernest Systrom, while he was stationed in Pennsylvania at the Valley Forge Military Hospital shortly after World War II. After eloping in September 1948, they would go on to raise their family in Massachusetts, where Ernie was raised and had perfected his Boston accent and charm. While the eight kids were growing up, the family would make summer trips to the Systrom family second home in Falmouth, Massachusetts and later vacation on Drake’s Island in Maine.

Despite starting a family at such a young age, Nancy was able to earn her high school diploma and would go on to pursue a wide variety of professions throughout her life. Her various jobs included selling Singer sewing machines, working at Glover Memorial Hospital in Needham as a dietician’s aide, working as a bookkeeper at American Engineers (formerly Systrom Snowplows), Saint Michael’s liturgical arts, and Cabriole (dance clothing manufacturer), and towards the end of her career serving as the office manager for the Needham Family Medical Practice. 

After her children were raised, Nancy would remain in Massachusetts until 2002 when she returned briefly to her hometown of Philadelphia. In 2006 she moved again to Oahu, Hawaii where she would live out the remainder of her life. During her final years, Nancy enjoyed spending time relaxing near the beach and gazing mauka from her apartment, watching the news, and socializing with family and friends. She was a voracious reader, going through as many as three novels a week, with a particular affection for historical non-fiction. While in Hawaii, she grew to love Korean barbeque, especially chicken katsu, and enjoyed sitting outside in the afternoons sipping on a cocktail or a glass of wine. 

Though she was often far away from her extended family in those final years, Nancy kept in good touch with her loved ones over the phone and relished hearing the details of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s lives. She’ll be remembered fondly for her blunt insights, dry sense of humor, and kindness when it was needed most.  RIP.

Friends and relatives are invited to attend a memorial service for Ann on Sunday, August 70, 2023 at Noon, at the Folsom Funeral Home, 649 High St., Westwood, MA 02090.

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