Paul Roger Sawin ¹⁰⁵⁸³

   Cause of his death was cancer.

Boston Herald
Boston, Mass.
Wednesday, April 29, 1981
p. C10

Paul R. Sawin, ex-newsman, Scout leader in Newton

A Mass of the Resurrection for Paul R. Sawin, 53, of Newton Centre, former Boston newspaperman active in Boy Scout affairs will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, Newton Centre.

Sawin, a native of Brighton, died at Deaconess Hospital Monday after a long illness. He was a graduate of Boston College High School and attended Boston College.

He was a Veteran reporter for the former Boston Herald Traveler where he served in various assignments from police reporter to editor over a 27 year period.

Upon leaving the Herald Traveler, he remained active in the newspaper business for a time. In recent years he was associated with the National Fire Protection Association.

Among his many duties as a Boy Scout leader, he was a master of Troop 205 of Norumbega Council for 18 years. Through his efforts, numerous boys achieved the highest ranks in Scouting.

He was a recipient of the Silver Beaver Award and was a member of the Fraternity Brotherhood of Arrow and numerous other Scouting honors.

He leaves his wife, Phyllis M. (Albanese); two sons, Paul R., Jr. of Watertown and David E.P. of Newton, and a brother, George, a former member of the staff of the old Boston Evening American.

Burial will be in Newton Cemetery. Arrangements were made by the Mackey Funeral Home, Newton.

*****
Boston Globe
Boston, Mass.
April 29, 1981

PAUL R. SAWIN, 53; HE WAS THERE WHEN BOSTON NEWS STORIES BROKE

Paul R. Sawin, of Parker street, Newton, a longtime Boston newspaperman and public relations specialist, died of cancer Monday in the New England Deaconess Hospital. He was 53.

He had worked for the old Herald Traveler for 27 years, and since 1974 had been editor of "Fire News," a monthly publication of the National Fire Protection Assn. He also had been in charge of media relations for the association.

Mr. Sawin was born in Brighton and was graduated from Boston College High School in 1944.

He started his newspaper career in 1945, as an office boy with the old Boston Herald and Traveler, when the papers were located at Avery and Mason streets, downtown.

He then moved to the newspapers' reference library before becoming a staff reporter. He worked for many years on the overnight shift, where, accompanied by a photographer and using the old press room at Boston Police Headquarters as a base, he cruised the streets of Greater Boston, covering all kinds of breaking news - fires, blizzards, floods, accidents, plane crashes, murders, holdups, prison riots, anything that was considered news.

Mr. Sawin was unlike the stereotyped version of reporters. He approached even the most frantic and confusing stories with the composure of a competent newsman, which is exactly what he was.

During the years that the Herald Traveler owned radio station WHDH, he often was heard on the air giving brief, on-the-scene reports on the story he was covering for the Traveler.

He was greatly interested in scouting work, and for more than 15 years was scoutmaster for Troop 205 in Newton Centre. He went on field trips with Boy Scouts to Martha's Vineyard, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and other locations.

Mr. Sawin was awarded the Silver Beaver award, one of the Boy Scouts' highest awards for scouting leadership. His two sons both became Eagle Scouts.

During his years at the Herald Traveler he also worked as picture editor, rewrite man, copy editor and assistant city editor.

After leaving the newspaper in 1972, Mr. Sawin worked as editor of The Framingham Leader, a weekly publication; from 1973-1974 he was a legislative reporter for the State House News Service, and in February 1974, he joined the National Fire Protection Assn. in Boston.

In addition to editing the association's publication, "Fire News," he also was in charge of the press room at the association's various conventions, both locally and throughout the country.

Mr. Sawin had taken a number of adult education courses at Harvard, was an avid photographer, and played the accordion and the organ. Several years ago he purchased a van and converted it into a camper. He also enjoyed special refurbising work at his home. He had lived in Newton for the last 25 years.

He leaves his wife, Phyllis (Albanese); two sons, Paul R. Jr. of Watertown and David E.P. Sawin of Newton; and a brother, George E. Sawin of Brighton.

A funeral Mass will be said tomorrow at 10 a.m. in Sacred Heart Church, Newton. Burial will be Newton Cemetery.

  Events

• He appeared on the census in 1930 at 105 Glencoe Street in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He lived with his parents in the household of his maternal grandparents.

• He appeared on the census in 1940 at 12 Sanderson Place in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts. He lived with his parents in the household of his maternal grandparents.

Paul married Phyllis Mary Albanese, daughter of John Albanese and Phyllis [--?--], 4 September 1948 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ¹⁰⁶⁰⁶.^,10607 (Phyllis Mary Albanese was born 31 December 1927 in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island,^10611,10612 died 3 February 2012 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ^10611,10612 and was buried after 3 February 2012 in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts at Newton Cemetery ¹⁰⁶¹¹.)