Arlene Lyons

Arlene (D'Addieco) Lyons, 84, of Middleboro, passed away peacefully at home on March 23, 2025. Visiting hours are Thursday, April 3rd from 4 to 7 pm at Folsom Funeral Home, 87 Milton St. Dedham, MA 02026. All are welcome to gather at the funeral home on Friday, April 4th at 12 pm to join the procession to St. Joseph Cemetery (990 LaGrange St, West Roxbury, MA 02132) for her graveyard service at 1pm.

Arlene was the beloved mother of Sheryl L. Crowell, Russell P. Lyons, Crystal G. Lyons and her dear friend Jamie Ryan, Sandra J. Ganguly and her husband, Promeet, and Jennifer S. Bloch and her husband, David. She was the sister of Daniel Daddieco and his wife, Sheri Craig. She was the former wife of the late Paul C. Lyons. She was the proud grandmother of Makaila, Dalton, Garrett, Jake, Drake, Lynzie, Kelsie and Avril Lyons, Taylor Asbell, Kiaralyn Ryan, and Sarina Ganguly. She was also the first cousin of David Arthurs, Susan Fahey, John D’Addieco, Julie D’Addieco, Jean D’Addieco, and Jodi D’Addieco.

Arlene was born in Winthrop in 1941 to the late Maria (Cucchiara) D'Addieco and Louis D’Addieco. The family lived in East Boston when Arlene was a young child. Arlene and her only sibling, Daniel, attended schools there and Arlene was a 1958 graduate of East Boston High School.

Arlene’s parents generously arranged for her to take dance lessons in Ballet, Tap, and Jazz as a child when money was tight for most families. As an adult, Arlene mastered the art of many other types of dances including Ballroom, Line, Square, Texas-style Country, Contra, and West Coast Swing. She was a natural and graceful dancer, her movements fluid and effortless. She joyfully flashed her beautiful smile as she twirled across the dance floor. Over the years, Arlene took several classes and received many recognitions as a dancer, including a Master of Square-Dancing award in 1999.

As a 1962 Graduate of Boston University’s School of Public Communications, Arlene held two degrees: a Bachelor of Science in Journalism / Advertising and an Associate of Arts in Education. That summer, Arlene took an intensive teacher training program course at Boston State College which led to her receiving a Department of Education teacher’s certificate the following year. In 1963, she married Paul Lyons, whom she had met at Boston University. They had their first child, Sheryl, in the summer of 1964. Arlene became an elementary school teacher in Berkley while also serving as the feature writer of a suburban newspaper. Over the next several years, four more children followed: Russell, Crystal, Sandra, and Jennifer. Later in life, Arlene would often joke with other young mothers who were finding the maternal process overwhelming and say “Are you kidding? I had three kids in diapers at the same time!" The Lyons family lived in Walpole before moving to Reston, VA in 1977.

Arlene completed a course in real estate principles and practices at the Lee Institute in 1976 in Massachusetts. She first became licensed in 1979 and began her real estate career in Virginia in 1981 at the Wellborn Company. She later worked for Mount Vernon Realty where she was once honored as the top salesperson in the entire office and received a letter of recognition which was signed by the company’s president. Over the years, she worked with other agencies throughout Massachusetts and New York, including the realty division of Merrill Lynch in 1985. She continued working as a realtor into the late 1990's.

Arlene became a social worker for the Department of Social Services in Massachusetts in 1990. A fierce advocate for children, she used her strong writing skills and sentimental heart to prepare persuasive case reports for the assigned judge. In 1992, she entered a graduate program at Assumption College in Worcester to pursue a Master of Arts in Rehabilitation Counseling to demonstrate her commitment to continuing education.

In the early 1990’s, Arlene took a course in Creative Finance and thoroughly enjoyed it, despite her previous lack of interest in mathematics. In 1996, Arlene took a basic income tax course at H&R Block and became a tax preparer. Also, during the 1990's, she took interest in the stock market and fared well.

Arlene loved her family deeply and was very proud of her children and grandchildren. She always said that the best compliments she ever received were about them. It made her happy that they each followed their dreams with passion. She cherished the wonderful relationship she had with her brother, Daniel, and his wife, Sheri, no matter how many miles apart they were at times. She was grateful for her longtime companion and boyfriend, Johnny Melanson, of East Kingston, NH.

Arlene also loved animals. She was particularly fond of her greyhound, Angel. In her senior years, she dedicated herself to feeding the birds outside of her home and watching them from her den window. She soaked in the harmonious sounds of nature while resting on her porch. She also enjoyed walking and antiquing in the Plymouth area. Another favorite walking spot for her was Castle Island.

She had several hobbies in addition to dancing. She began bowling in the 1980's, making long-time friends along the way, and competed locally in Kingston up until her passing. She was a very good bowler at her peak and took it seriously, even if she was a far more talented dancer. If she knocked down nine pins, instead of all ten, she would stomp on the floor with her right foot, turn back toward her teammates, and scowl. If she threw a gutter ball, she would smirk and claim that the facility’s floor was uneven. Later, she would laugh all about it and forget whether her team had won or lost.

Arlene enjoyed playing cards and board games. She loved playing bid Whist with her family and would often prepare a delicious Italian style meal, complete with homemade cutlets, before the card games began. She was an exceptional cook and event host until the day she spontaneously gave away her breadcrumbs and pans and announced that the cook was retiring. Arlene kept her home spotless, beautifully decorated, and in perfect order. If a picture was hanging off-center by a fraction of an inch, or a vase had been moved ever so slightly, she would notice immediately and correct it. She was just as meticulous with her appearance. Her nails, jewelry, clothes, and shoes always complimented each other perfectly.

For decades, she played word games primarily online, including Scrabble, Words With Friends, and Lexulous. From 2004 until 2008, she played competitive Scrabble in person at local clubs and tournaments.

In her later years, Arlene spent more and more time at home. She enjoyed being involved in her senior community and had many great neighbors and friends there. She loved her home and felt true peace within its walls. She liked to say that she worked very hard to pay for it and that she wanted to stay in it until the end. Her family happily supported her wish.

A true angel here on Earth, Arlene will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

All expressions of sympathy to the family of Arlene Lyons are welcome. In the case that you would like to make a memorial donation to a charity, the family recommends any of the following charities:

Gastric Cancer Foundation https://gastriccancer.org/ways-to-give/

American Cancer Society https://donate.cancer.org/

National Foundation of Cancer Research https://www.nfcr.org/ways-to-give/

Cancer Research Institute https://www.cancerresearch.org/

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute https://danafarber.jimmyfund.org/