Phyllis Mary Albanese

   Another name for Phyllis was Nonnie.

Magoun-Biggins Funeral Home
135 Union Street
Rockland, Mass. 02370

Phyllis Sawin, wife of legendary and longtime Boston Newsman Paul R. Sawin, died on February 4th, 2012 at Boston's Brigham and Woman's Hospital of natural causes.

Phyllis was born in Providence, Rhode Island to John and Phyllis Albanese in 1927 and raised in Italian tradition. At an early age, Phyllis moved to Brighton where she worked for several years for Martinello and Son's Construction Company and met her future husband Paul R. Sawin. For the next 27 years, they built their lives together around celebrating and reporting Boston news events, raising children, volunteering at local PTA's and volunteering in Boy Scouting. They became Marathon ballroom dancers and competed in several swing dance halls in the Boston area. Paul worked two shifts at the Boston Herald Traveler, and later, The Boston Globe and United Press International. Phyllis worked as a professional transport driver for physically and mentally challenged children.

They purchased a home in Newton Centre that was once owned by the Astor family who perished on the HMS Titanic. It was here in Newton that Phyllis provided the energy to her growing family. Phyllis and Paul had two children, Paul Jr. and David. Weekends saw family outings to Revere Beach, Plum Island and Scout activities. Phyllis supported her husband in both Cub and Boy Scouting where they both earned high leadership awards. Phyllis earned the Corrigan Award, which was awarded to her by the Archdiocese of Boston's Cardinal Cushing. Paul earned the BSA's distinguished Silver Beaver Award. For many years Phyllis was active in Sacred Heart Church. Later, both sons would go on to earn the Eagle Scout Award. These accomplishments were made possible by the energy, enthusiasm and commitment to family that Phyllis instilled in her life.

In 1981, Phyllis lost her lifelong sole mate and husband to cancer. The loss was felt by the Boston news community, Scouting and immediate family for years.
Filling a leadership role for her family, Phyllis would go on to work in banking for the Newton Center Savings Bank and later, Bank of Boston. Phyllis moved to the Cape Cod community of Pocasset where she worked for several years at the Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank in Centerville advising seniors on sound financial banking. She was an inspiration to her co-workers demonstrating commitment to the bank and its customers.

An accomplished expert in Italian cuisine, Phyllis came to be known by her grandchildren as "Nonnie" (Italian Grandmother). For years, Nonnie hosted summer outings and weekend events for her grandchildren at her home near
Redbrook Harbor and Bassets Island where she mentored all of her grandchildren in sailing, swimming lessons, summer camps on Cape Cod and of course, Italian cooking. As her grandchildren, Christopher, Scott and Victoria, grew older, she would temporally leave Cape Cod's salt air, sand and seawater for Hanover to be with them for weekends, holidays and extended stays. It was here in Hanover that Nonnies reputation grew as a lively, fun and energetic Italian and stalwart supporter of Scouting. Friends and extended family would come visiting to experience her good cooking, wit and high-tempered Italian spirit. Phyllis played a key role in re-establishing Hanover's Boy Scout Troop 38 at Saint Mary's Church where her two grandsons earned the Eagle Scout Award. Phyllis was also a great grandmother to Alexa Jean Marie. Behind every great man is a tremendous woman and Phyllis was all of that.

A Funeral Mass and celebration of Phyllis's life will be held, Saturday, June 9th at 9:00 AM, Saint Mary's Church in Hanover, MA. A reception follows.

In lieu of flowers, a scholarship fund has been set up in Phyllis's name to assist older Boy Scouts in attending National Youth Leader Training at Boy Scout Summer Camp
in Plymouth Ma. Donations are welcome to support this Scholarship Fund.
Checks can be made payable to "Boy Scout Troop 38" and mailed to 203 Grove Street, Hanover Ma. 02339.

Phyllis married Paul Roger Sawin, son of Roger Blanchard Sawin and Mary Frances Mahan, 4 September 1948 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ¹⁰⁶⁰⁶.^,10607 (Paul Roger Sawin was born 20 March 1928 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts,^{10608,10609,10610} died 27 April 1981 in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts ^10608,10609 and was buried after 27 April 1981 in Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts at Newton Cemetery ¹⁰⁶⁰⁸.) The cause of his death was cancer.