T. Joan Calawa Obituary (1927

CHELMSFORD - Thelma Joan Calawa passed away on Monday, August 23 after a prolonged illness. She was born on April 7, 1927 in Waukegan, IL the daughter of the late Sophia M. (Binder) Tiss and the late Oswald H. Tiss both of Wisconsin. She later lived in Durham, NH, Waukegan, IL and in 1959 settled in Chelmsford, MA. Joan graduated from Saint Teresa School of Nursing Waukegan, IL in 1948. She was initially employed by Dr. Edward E. DeLong a local pioneer in neuropsychology. Her nursing career included being a staff nurse at various hospitals, a geriatric nurse at D'Youville Manor in Lowell, MA as well as an occupational nurse at Instrumentation Laboratories in Lexington, MA. She retired from nursing as a private duty nurse. Joan is survived by three daughters Catherine Astolfi and her husband David, Virginia Gutierrez and her husband Guillermo and Nancy Polley and her husband Brian; six sons Stephen Calawa and his wife Linda, Christopher Calawa and his wife Christine, Donald Calawa and his wife Donna, Daniel Calawa, Martin Calawa and his wife Mary, Richard Calawa and his wife Kristine, seventeen grandchildren and one great-grand child. She will be dearly missed by all of her family and many friends. She was also the sister of the late Bonita, Yvonne, and Clifton "Bud" Tiss. Visiting hours will be held on Saturday, August 28, 2010 from 1:00 - 4:30 PM at the BLAKE FUNERAL HOME, 24 Worthen St., CHELMSFORD. A Funeral Service will be on Saturday at 6:00 PM at Evangelical Congregational Church of Tyngsboro, 24 Kendall Rd. (Rt. 113) Tyngsboro, MA. For those who desire memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org