Paul H. Alves

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Paul H. Alves, 81, of New Bedford passed away peacefully Thursday, January 21, 2021.

            He was the husband of Carolyn (Nunes) Alves.

            Born in New Bedford, son of the late Gilbert and Kathleen (Hawthorne) Alves, he lived in Mattapoisett most of his life.

            Paul graduated from Fairhaven High School before earning his Bachelor’s degree from Bridgewater State College. He then earned a Master’s Degree and taught 5th grade in the New Bedford Public School System. He was a musician, and a drummer for the Tri-county symphony, and the Mattapoisett Band. He collected stamps and coins, and was an avid Red Sox fan.

            Paul served proudly in the U.S. Army.

            Survivors include his wife; his stepchildren, Robert Tracy and his wife Karen, of Somerset, and Sandy Tracy of Mattapoisett; and a grandson Jackson.

            His services will be private.

From the Files of the Rochester Historical Society

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Today, many of the younger generations know phones as an essential item to carry with them to use as cameras, text, and store all the essential aspects of life. A landline phone, particularly one with a dial, is an antique to be puzzled over. However, older residents of Rochester remember not just landlines with easily accessible human operators but also party lines. My mother told stories of calling home from college in Boston to let her father know when to pick her up from the train in Bridgewater. The operator would say that her father was at the Mill, but she’d make sure that he got the message.

            A party line was a phone line shared by many households, each of which had its own ring. If you picked up at the first ring (something we did as kids visiting our grandmother), you would be told to hang up. You had to see if it would be two short rings or a short and a long, or some other variation to avoid eavesdropping on a neighbor’s conversation.

            Rochester’s first phone system was set up by the proprietor of McGilvaray’s Grocery Store at 240 Mattapoisett Road in the mid-19th century. He strung wires from his store to his most frequent customers’ homes so they could call in their orders. (Sounds like the original online shopping). The building pictured alongside this article is at the intersection of Snipatuit Road and North Avenue. Here was the office of the Rochester Telephone Exchange from the early 1900s to 1950. In the front room, operators sat at their stations connecting callers. Some of the lines had up to 24 customers.

            The phone company is only part of the building’s exciting history. The original owner was John King, and in 1830 it was a Methodist Meetinghouse. By 1832, it began its life as a store. For many years it contained a general store with a series of owners. It also was home to the North Rochester Post Office for some years during the 1800s. In 1889, the large building was used for a Rotation Town Meeting in an attempt to appease outlying residents who complained about the long trip to Rochester Center.

            In addition to King, some of the others who operated the store at 289 North Avenue were Hiram Waldron, Albert Reed, and George Allen. When Allen owned the building, he converted it into a home with the store in the basement having a direct entry from the street. After 1957, the telephone exchange moved to another building on North Avenue closer to the New Bedford Waterworks.

            Barbara Besse and her family have lived there for many years. After 1957, she operated an antique store there into the 1970s.

By Connie Eshbach

A Soul’s Refreshment – Art

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            Looking for a way to shed the pandemic blues? Tired of being stuck, unable to travel, and feeling trapped due to a lack of freedom of movement? Well, there is a cure, and it’s called art. And no artistic institution offers more per square inch of gallery space than the Marion Art Center. As I’ve often said, “It is small but mighty.”

            A large part of the “might” that is the MAC is the caliber of artists that comprise the membership. And so it is always a grand experience to take in the annual Winter Members’ Show on exhibition now through February 26.

            Entering the first-floor gallery space is like being a kid in a candy shop with visual goodies hanging from every wall or positioned on pedestals. Among those delicious art pieces, one will find not only watercolors, oils, and acrylics but also carvings, woodworking, and fabric art. In commenting to one artist that it seemed as though the MAC continues to evolve from one show to the next, offering a broad spectrum of artistic expression, the response was that art itself is shifting and changing as it always has done. Art reflects the moment the artist is living in, a reaction to that moment, and quite possibly hopes and fears. All that one can find in this show.

            Alanna Nelson is a fabric artist who understands that people’s ideas of what art can be are changing. Her exhibit piece is titled “The Glove.” She explained that one of the activities she joined after moving to the area is sailing. The glove is one she used while pursuing that passion. She has taken that glove with all the joyful memories it conjures in her mind and positioned it over a piece of blue handmade felt.

            “I work a lot in wool, raw wool,” Nelson explained, working the material until it reaches a satisfying texture and shape. After repeated soakings and drying, she achieved a “wave-like” texture to the wool felt. “You’re never sure what you get when making the felt,” Nelson shared, but when she saw the wave-like curves, she knew where the glove belonged. The two are merged, forever a sailing glove moving across waves.

            Nelson lived in Italy for many years, including six in Rome and five in Milan, where she was exposed to exquisite fabrics and wools. While there, she created quilts and delved into embroidery.

            Russel Saunders is a photographer, first and foremost. But it takes a creative eye and imagination to create an image others will respond to, an artist’s eye. And it takes patience to capture the right image. Saunders’ large canvass now on view in the MAC’s second-floor gallery required patience as he waited along the shore of Ogunquit, Maine. “Nothing much was happening, and there were a lot of children splashing around,” he recalled. But his patience was rewarded when, suddenly, the seabirds were marching around, the children were out of the frame, and the lighting was correct. “March of the Piping Plovers” was born.

            Saunders then takes the best images, or in some cases commissioned images, and reproduces them on fine art canvasses. Some finished works are substantial, as is the case with the plovers; the piece measures 55 by 40 inches. The resolution for such reproductions has to be extraordinarily high, in this case, a whopping 20 million pixels. He said that by wrapping the canvass around the oak frame, he achieves a three-dimensional effect. “It’s never still.”

            Saunders said of art today: “People are getting more in touch with their higher feelings.”

            Filipe Miguel has always been an artist, but his career path took a side road into the world of tennis, teaching the sport for 25 years before he returned to creating art. His paying gig now, if you will, is as an art teacher at Barnstable High School, where he finds a very supportive administration and community. After completing his education at UMass Dartmouth and the University of Connecticut as an art major, he said that he intended to teach at the university level. He ended up teaching tennis until recently. Now it’s all art all the time, both at work and at home.

            Miguel said he is always pushing the boundaries of his creative output. He described an installation of a bedroom covered in cement that was exhibited at the Fuller Art Museum. But like many creative types, when the exhibit closed, he didn’t simply throw away the bits and pieces; he conserved them for later use. One such item, a pillow, became his work of art titled “My Pillow,” now at the MAC in the first-floor gallery. The piece features a pillow embedded with tennis balls and a pack of cigarettes. “Some people have called my art abstract; I don’t feel that way,” he said. “My works have a narrative in them, a story.”

            That is certainly true of the second piece on display in the second-floor gallery titled “Adjustment Factor.” Many will identify with the meaning behind the word “adjust,” the letters “FA,” and the numbers “150”— it all relates to the daily challenges faced by those dealing with diabetes.

            Miguel hopes the wall piece, which is textural both in appearance and meaning, will help people understand that diabetes impacts the whole person from physical to mental health issues. He also wants to shed light on the politics, policies, and pharmacy industry’s economic structures. “There are a lot of layers to this. People depend on medications to survive; it’s monetized by the medical industries,” he said. Miguel’s intent was to create a group of pieces that work together, bringing this theme to light.

            The work itself is comprised of Styrofoam, burlap, glues, and resins. “It’s a process that requires some alchemy,” Miguel said. Some of the ingredients have an aroma, he said, which adds to the experience.

            “Art, in general, is a cathartic practice; it’s emotional, personal,” Miguel mused, adding that it can be especially true if the theme is one of health. Going back to the “My Pillow” piece and its origins as part of a bedroom installation, Miguel said, “It was an entire bedroom, a strange child’s bedroom about the tooth fairy not leaving a dime under the pillow— dreams made into artwork.”

            Hugh Kelly works in stone or, should I say, stones. He commiserated that when taking a walk along a beach, he is always looking down for a stone he simply must have to add to his collection at home. But the stones that he carves are not those found along the shore. “I carve alabaster, marble sometimes, or soapstone.” For the MAC exhibit, Kelly is showing two pieces, one of which is black chlorite quartz carved into a charming fish. “The stone tells you what it wants to be,” he said. Kelly uses a combination of hand tools and electric drills but noted that the most important part of stone carving is the sanding, which is all done by hand.

            Kelly and his wife and fellow exhibitor Donna both have taken lessons in clay but abandoned that artistic track for stone, in his case, while Donna moved on to acrylics. She is exhibiting two still life paintings at the MAC show.

            Donna discussed an artistic journey that has found her studying nearby at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln and as far away as California. She said that she has been painting for years, but when her children were little confined it to “once they were in bed.” She calls painting “a lifelong hobby” that she believes is more important now than ever before. “We are so confined.”

            How do two artists coexist under the same roof? For this couple, it’s been easy. “We’ll be married 62 years on Groundhog Day!” Donna cheerfully exclaimed. She said they appreciate each other’s artistic endeavors. “We are together but separate.”

            Liz Howland’s fabric pieces are not only works of art; they are wearable works of art. Howland explained the process of making Kantha cloth, which employs layers of repurposed saris quilted together to make quilts and blankets. Howland takes these large pieces and repurposes them again into jackets and pouches.

            “India is a colorful country,” Howland began, “so the saris are colorful.” But the saris possess much more than beauty, she believes. “The saris have positive energy in them; they have lived a life and then become something new but carry that energy forward.

            “They have a special soul to them.” By repurposing the fabrics, she said, “it keeps the energy moving.” That energy is on view on the second floor of the gallery, standing like a mother, exuding wisdom and kindness.

            There will be a virtual reception for the show to be held on Friday, January 29, from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Contact marionartcenter.org for registration details and learn more about these artists and others whose works are on display.

By Marilou Newell

MRC Questions Drag on Aquaculture Licensing

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            Marion Harbormaster Isaac Perry and Deputy Harbormaster/Shellfish Officer Adam Murphy have their work cut out.

            In the aftermath of Shea Doonan’s pulled aquaculture license, the two have worked countless hours cleaning up Doonan’s former gear and product. But they cannot bring closure with a new licensee because the town’s Board of Selectmen wants a reset on rules and regulations before its members will consider candidates to take over the site. So reported Perry and Murphy to the Marion Marine Resources Commission during the latter’s January 18 Zoom meeting.

            The applicants for the site have been notified. “They’re obviously not too happy about that,” said Murphy, noting the timeline has all but ruled out a new license holder capitalizing in 2021.

            It cost $11,000 to clean up Doonan’s sites.

            “When landing the shellfish, they’re required to call us and report,” said Murphy. “Shea Doonan was a perfect example…. He never reported a single thing. It was a shock what was out there and the disarray it was in…. I’d like to give my recommendation from other towns on what seems to work before we put the cart ahead of the horse here, and I’m in the same mess again.”

            In a previous meeting, the Board of Selectmen asked for research on other towns, some of which require aquaculture applicants to post a bond in case of such an event as what happened in Doonan’s case so the town would be guaranteed the necessary money to perform a cleanup. Perry explained that there are differences in aquaculture licensing practices from Wellfleet to Rhode Island. One potential tweak in the regulations would deem the product to be considered part of the gear for the purpose of pulling it out of the water on a timely basis.

            “I see two big things, what I believe they’re looking to get out of this,” said Perry, reporting on his meeting with the selectmen. “Some type of bond,” and secondly, an increase in the annual license fee. Presently, Marion charges a state-mandated fee of $25/acre; since Marion awards half-acre sites, that amount translates into $12.50 per year for the mooring permit under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 91, Section 10A.

            “I’m sure there’s a lot of other things we’ll look at, but those are the two big-ticket items,” said Perry, who submitted an invoice to the Board of Selectmen for the Doonan site cleanup. “We’re waiting on the decision if that invoice is going to be sent.”

            MRC Chairman Vin Malkoski restated the MRC’s opinion that the invoice should be sent and asked Perry and Murphy why a proposed increase in fees. Murphy said that much of the work performed comes out of the Harbormaster’s budget, including site visits by agencies.

            “It’s basically to offset the amount of effort,” said Murphy, noting that the 2021 season will be more expensive with predator nets for birds. “There’s a lot more things coming down the pike that are going to take a lot of time,” he said.

            The delay and uncertainty didn’t sit well with member Scott Cowell, who felt that the local government is holding the applicants hostage. “Especially after this year when the industry has taken such a hit … I feel they should issue the permits, and the people that have them have to abide by them,” he said. “Right now, they should be ordering their seed for February.”

            “It’s almost too late at this point,” said Perry.

            Member Toby Burr asked if bonds are retroactive to existing licenses, but Perry said it’s all in the conversation stage right now. Murphy added that new regulations would not hold up existing license holders in good standing. “This isn’t going to affect them. The Board of Selectmen wants to grandfather them,” said Murphy. “Those existing sites can function as they have been. I’m going to send them all a letter on what we can expect for the 2021 season. Once we revise the regulations, we’re going to let them know.”

            In light of the questions, Perry suggested that the MRC write the selectmen a letter asking for more specific concerns to guide the review and revision process more effectively.

            The next regular meeting of the MRC is set for February 22, but the members voted to meet on February 8 to discuss aquaculture regulations. Murphy will email the MRC with examples of what other towns are doing.

            Perry also reported that Officer Dave Wilson completed his field training with the Marion Police Department. Last week was Wilson’s first with the Harbormasters office, and he still needs to take his shellfish course. “He’s getting a lot of on-the-job training,” said Perry.

            Perry also told the MRC that he has completed commercial regulations but has not submitted them. Malkoski agreed with Perry that a face-to-face meeting is better, “But we need to get [the regulations] to the Board of Selectmen.” Perry indicated he would get that information to the selectmen this week.

            Under the Harbor Management and Capital Projects report, Perry expects to have a rendering of the proposed new Harbormaster’s facility from the architect over the next two weeks. He reported working on the FY22 budget and said he is looking to add another $1,000 to the motor-vehicle line item. Perry expected to meet this week with the Finance Committee with a plan to get a budget to the MRC by the weekend.

            The Atlantis Drive renting situation, said Perry, has become difficult. The Harbormaster is storing a patrol boat at the facility formerly owned by the town. “I foresee us without a maintenance facility for a few years until the town can get all those pieces,” he said. “In the short term, we’ll make it work; we always do.”

            Town Meeting approved an appropriation to cover the loss of an outboard motor on the town’s patrol boat, but Perry said the engine likely wouldn’t become available until March. The new motor will go on another single-engine workboat that remains in service at Island Wharf, and the engine from that boat would be then transferred to the patrol boat.

            The next meeting of the Marion Marine Resources Commission is scheduled for February 8.

Marion Marine Resources Commission

By Mick Colageo

Masks Stay on after Inoculation

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            The Mattapoisett Board of Health met with public health nurses Emily Field and Amanda Stone on January 13 and discussed the latest COVID-19 vaccine distribution information. All of the news was sobering.

            As of January 13, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Mattapoisett stood at 293 with a small percentage of hospitalizations, said Stone. But to the question of the number of deaths, Stone said that depended on “interpretation.” She explained that between three and six cases could be classified as resulting from COVID-19, but that if pre-existing, life-ending diseases were also present, the other illness could also be the cause of death.

            Field said that, while Phase 1 rollout was underway with the vaccine being administered to first responders from Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Wareham, the rollout had not been smooth. She said that, according to the state’s guidelines, distribution centers were required to register at least 200 people to receive the vaccination; thus, the multi-town approach was used. Field also said that there was no firm timeline for anyone else included in Phase 1.

            While first responders and what are called “COVID-facing” healthcare workers are part of the first phase, others include long-term care facilities, congregate care facilities, home-based healthcare workers, and non-COVID-facing healthcare workers. Phase 1 is planned to last at least until the beginning of February. However, Stone spoke in cautionary terms. “The Board of Health has been approved to store vaccine, but rollout has been slower than anticipated.”

            Stone, whose retirement is scheduled for the end of January, said that public health departments are waiting to learn when more vaccine will be available for the balance of Phase 1 and that the amount of vaccine had yet to be announced. Field noted that it may become a “social equity” issue and that “we’ll have to consider who will receive vaccine based on the amount received .… The inoculation process has not been solidified.” Field also said that the state Department of Public Health had pushed Phase 1 into March.

            When asked about current case numbers in the community, Field responded that there were 23 active cases. BOH member Ken Dawicki asked when and if the total number of cases would be “reset.” Stone said that data collection was critical to understanding the disease process and that, “We are still in the middle of this.”

            Both nurses spoke to the overwhelming time demands of contact tracing and that it was possible for some people to simply fall through the cracks. They noted that for each confirmed case, there were many more people who may have been infected and that contact tracing relied on people being forthcoming with the names of those with whom they may have come in contact. “It depends on what people are willing to share,” said Stone.

            Field spoke to what happens after vaccination has taken place. She said that it takes three to four weeks for the body to respond to vaccines and that before and after both planned injections, precautions will remain in place for an indefinite period. Stone added it remains unknown when immunity will develop. “[Vaccines] help prevent symptoms, but you can (possibly) still spread the virus; we just don’t know the length of immunity.” She said it was possible to get sick 90 days after receiving the vaccine. Because of the unknowns associated with this virus, continuing adherence to pre-vaccine safety precautions such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing will be necessary, they said.

            When asked if the messaging from public health entities will change, given that precautions will be extended indefinitely, the nurses said it would be necessary to continue to educate the public. “The town will need to make sure guidelines are met,” Stone stated.

            Moderna produces the vaccine that has been administered locally.

            Other matters discussed were the updating of regulations for hotels and motels. Kayla Davis, Board of Health agent, reported having worked with a local motel owner and discussed such matters as deep cleaning, bed bug extermination and monitoring, annual inspections, and whether or not pets and service animals are permittable. Also discussed was smoking, which will not be allowed in motel units but may be allowed at a smoking station away from the units’ entrances. The members will review and address it at a future meeting.

            The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Board of Health is scheduled for February 10 at 10:00 am.

Mattapoisett Board of Health

By Marilou Newell

Mattapoisett Library DIY Craft Kit for Adults

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Using our new database, Creativebug, the Mattapoisett Free Public Library has fashioned a craft kit to help you realize “you’re more creative than you think”. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, learn how to use yarn to wrap wire that is shaped into the word LOVE. Log in to Creativebug to watch how it’s done and get tips to create more words on your own. Courtney Cerruti teaches this great yet simple class, which is also suitable for teens. We put all the supplies you’ll need in a bag; all you’ll need at home is a glue gun and glue sticks. Instructions are attached to the kit for accessing the video tutorial on Creativebug. Kits are available now until they are gone.

            Registration is required, as the number of kits are limited. You can sign up via our calendar of events on our website, mattapoisettlibrary.org, or via an email to rsmith@sailsinc.org. Call the library at 508-758-4171 with any questions or email to mfpl@sailsinc.org.

SEMMEA Districts Music Festival

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This past weekend marked a great milestone for the Old Rochester Regional Music Department. Mason Tucker and Edward Gonet IVboth performed at the Massachusetts Music Educators Association Southeastern (SEMMEA) Districts Virtual Music Festival.

            Beyond taking part in the regional festival, both musicians received recommendations to be a part of the “All-State” musical festival. This musical event consists of the top musicians from around the state.

            Tucker, a senior, graced the piano in the Jazz ensemble with its rendition of “Bye Bye Blackbird.” He commented, “I’m glad that I got to see old friends from past District festivals once again. I am proud that we at least put together something refreshing during these trying times.”

            Gonet, a junior, sang in the choir as a bass. He remarked, “It brought me much joy to be able to sing with other people again, even if over Zoom. It drove my family crazy singing classically in the house, but I am very glad to have had this effervescent opportunity.”

            Tucker and Gonet attribute their success to Michael Barnicle, Music Department director, who helped them prepare for the auditions and navigate a virtual world of music.

The Sippican Cinema Series Continues

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Join Diane Kelley and Anne Converse for a fireside chat on Monday, January 25, at 5:00 pm to discuss our January film, “Strictly Ballroom,” a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. You may request the Zoom link by conta cting us at info@sippicanhistoricalsociety.org. Watch the film on your own, then join us for a rousing discussion. It’s a great way to spend a chilly January evening! This series is sponsored by the Sippican Historical Society. The discussions are free of charge, but donations to the SHS are welcome.

William Albert Sobieraj

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Cherished husband and loving father, grandfather & great-grandfather William Albert Sobieraj (Bill), 80, of Marion, MA quietly returned to his creator on January 19, 2021. 

            Born in Buffalo, NY on April 6, 1940, son of the late Jacob M. and Frances (Konior) Sobieraj, he was raised in Utica, NY graduating from St Francis De Sales High School, spent one year in the seminary before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force working as a refueler in Germany, where he developed his love of all things kraut, sausages, and beer. 

            But it was in the piano bar at the Hotel Utica where he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Z (Ziemba) Sobieraj (Bette) and began what would become a 56.5 year marriage of love, patience, understanding and family. 

            Bill and Bette raised 6 children in Macedon, NY before moving to Marion, MA in 1999. As a devoted father, he never missed a concert, game or school function. He took his kids “antics” in stride, rarely getting mad and always boasting of their accomplishments to whomever he could. 

            In his youth he enjoyed fishing, waterskiing and playing cards with his dad and brother; whereas in his later years he loved to take his kids and grandkids sledding, fishing, quahogging, and crabbing. In his private time, he loved to tend to his vegetable garden or take in a good book – preferring historical fiction with a military theme – but would read anything recommended by one of his kids. 

            Bill’s favorite pastime was spending time with his devoted wife, Bette. Be it shopping, going to a casino, decorating for an upcoming holiday, playing elf all night wrapping Christmas presents, or sitting next to her while watching Law & Order, as long as she was by his side, he was happy. Bette’s love for cooking was only outshined by Bill’s love for her food. He was happiest when he was able to hold her in his arms while dancing. His love was palpable whenever their wedding song played. He would softly sing Moon River to her, losing himself in her. 

            Bill was a proud Polack with a quick wit and sharp tongue. He could easily talk to any stranger but loved to listen to his grandchildren tell him of their day. He could grill a steak better than anyone. Every morning he sat at the dining room table eating his fruit filled oatmeal while watching the birds at the feeder, always pointing out the cardinals. He loved dogs – Tippy, Charlie, and Kelcey were waiting for him at the pearly gates. His favorite colors were yellow and green, his favorite flower the gladiolus and his favorite holiday Thanksgiving – because it was about family. Bill, Dad, Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, Butch will be dearly missed. 

            Bill was formerly employed by Davenport Machine & Tool as a machinist, keeping the machines moving by hand-crafting parts when they wore out and broke. 

            Bill was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Francis E. Grogan Council in Wareham and a parishioner at St. Patrick’s Church of Wareham. He previously worshipped at St Patrick’s Church in Macedon, NY, calling the now deceased Fr. McFarland close friend and confidant. 

            He is survived by his beloved wife Bette; a son, William (Billy) A. Sobieraj, Jr. and his wife Andrea of Easton, MA; 5 daughters: Dorene (Reenie) Murphy and her husband Joe of Victor, NY; Karen (Bootsie) Gutta and her husband Chuck of Albany, NY; Cheryl (Charlie) Wadhwa and her husband Sunil of Newtown, CT; Christine (Crissy or “G”) Legault and her husband Kevin of Marion, MA: and Lisabeth (Shorty) Good and her husband Ken of Melbourne, FL; 16 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and 2 sisters: Bonnie Hughes of Millsboro, DE and Susan Kolzinski of Clinton, NY. He was the brother of the late John Sobieraj. 

            His visiting hours will be held Friday, January 29th, 2021 from 4-8 PM in the Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals, 50 County Rd., Mattapoisett. Or, in Bill’s way, you can meet us with a cooler and pop open a cold one in his honor. His Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 30th at 11 AM in St. Patrick’s Church in Wareham. Capacity at church will be 90 in attendance. For online guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com. 

            Please be advised that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are strict guidelines that must be adhered to for the safety of everyone. You MUST wear a mask to be allowed entry to the services. Please practice social distancing and avoid any close contact. Guests will be permitted to pay their respects and depart to allow the next guests to enter the funeral home. Capacity at the funeral home will be limited so there could be wait times outside the funeral home. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Sylvia Carlos Slattery

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Sylvia Carlos Slattery, 87, died peacefully and knowing she was well loved on January 20, 2021 in Simsbury, CT. Born in New Bedford, MA, she was the daughter of the late John and Alberta (Figueiredo) Carlos. She grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, which became a special place for her and her family. Mattapoisett means “place of rest”, and it is here where she will find her eternal peace. 

A proud graduate of Fairhaven High and the Massachusetts College of Art, Sylvia went on to become an art teacher in the Newington Public schools, an instructor for the Wethersfield Art League and a children’s librarian at Corpus Christi School in Wethersfield. She was an accomplished artist and was honored to have her art exhibited in numerous art galleries and was proud of having her own art show as well. Sylvia’s love for baking famed her the winner of the Pillsbury Bake off in 1968 with her apple brownie recipe and loved sharing her creations with others. Sylvia was predeceased by her husband Joseph, which they shared 51 years of marriage and raised six children in Old Wethersfield, CT. She was devoted to her family more than anything else, and this brought her the most happiness. She will be remembered for her witty personality, artistic talent and kind soul. 

She is survived by her six children who adored her; John (Bernie) Slattery, of Simsbury, CT, Jennifer Dupuis of Bloomfield, CT, Jane (Chris) Curran of Punta Gorda, FL, Audrey (Larry) Freshman of Punta Gorda, FL, Matthew (Karen Wolff) Slattery of Somerville, MA, and Kathryn (Brian) White of West Hartford, CT. She will be missed by her 11 grandchildren, Aimee (Alex) Watts, Sarah (Ian) Skillings, Ellen (Danielle) Fitzpatrick, Christine (Davey) Nelson, Stephanie Curran, Sean (Megan) Slattery, Kevin Slattery, Alexander and Nathan White, Caitlin Hufford and Lucy Slattery along with 3 step grandchildren; Angela (Olan) Kline, Brittany (Greg) Bellinger and Ryan (Lexie) Freshman. She was blessed with 7 great grandchildren and 11 step great-grandchildren. She will be dearly missed by her sister Audrey Lorenzen of Leominster, MA and her sons Rev. Tony Lorenzen and Nick Lorenzen along with numerous nieces and nephews who appreciated her big smile and loud laughs. She also leaves behind a special friend, Don Betts, who brought her joy in her final years. A special thank you to Pam Bronsord and the staff at McLean who took wonderful care of her. 

Due to Covid restrictions, a small family funeral will take place on Saturday January 30, 2021 in Mattapoisett at St Anthony’s Church with burial to follow. Saunders-Dwyer Mattapoisett Home for Funerals is entrusted with her care. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association or the Marion Art Center (marionartcenter.org). For online condolence book, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.