Sarah Sloan Evans of Duxbury, MA, passed away on February 8, 2026 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 89.

Sarah was born December 14, 1936 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Nora (Bossert) and Ambrose V. Sloan, a family physician. She spent her youth in Wilkes-Barre and Glen Summit, PA, and, after a brief stint in parochial school, became a day student at Wyoming Seminary in nearby Kingston, PA. A friend convinced her to transfer to the Northampton School for Girls following the untimely death of her father, whom she adored, when she was 15. After graduating in 1954, Sarah earned a B.A. from Wells College in 1959 spending her junior year abroad at the University of Edinburgh. Following a brief stint working in New York City, she joined her mother in Norfolk, VA where she became a social worker. It was there that she met her husband of 65 years, Arthur B. Evans, then serving in the U.S. Navy. After moving to Duxbury in 1967, Sarah pursued a M.S.W. degree from Simmons College and worked as a psychiatric social worker at the Mayflower Mental Health Center in Plymouth. With an eye for detail and an insistence on precision, she transitioned into book publishing and did freelance writing, copy-editing, and production work for various firms. She later brought these skills to bear on her passion for historic homes, evident in the careful preservation of her 1850s house in Duxbury. While living with Arthur in Detroit in the 1990’s, Sarah was the principal author of the nomination for Lafayette Park, a mixed-use urban development project designed by Meis van der Rohe, to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. When she and Arthur returned to Duxbury in 2002, she researched, wrote, and published a local history book titled Ashdod: The Other Side of Duxbury in 2016.

Sarah had a passion for travel, and she and Arthur visited many countries in Europe as well as Israel, Australia, and New Zealand. She also enjoyed swimming, gardening and especially doing the daily NYT crossword puzzle. She would complete the Sunday puzzle in ink and in record time, unmatched by any who dared to challenge her. Sarah and Arthur’s home in Ashdod has always been known fondly as “Sarah’s Folly,” the family’s favorite place for gatherings of all kinds: dinners large and small, political rallies, garden parties, graduations, and weddings to name a few. Sarah is remembered by all – her family, her friends and their children, and the many friends of her daughters and their children – for the generosity, gracefulness, and welcoming spirit she brought to these events.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Arthur, of Duxbury, her three daughters Catherine Evans (Lee Andrews) of Sydney, Australia, Gwen Evans-Sneeden (Ralph) of Exeter, NH, Deirdre Caldarone (Christopher) of Duxbury and New York City, a sister, Nancy Sarkesian of Auburn, CA, and eight adored grandchildren: Jacob Sneeden (Jenny), Madeleine Page (Tyler), Lindsay Caldarone (Jesse Evensky), Evan Andrews (Lauren Bauer), Sam Caldarone, Calan Andrews, Eliza Sneeden (Jamie Drayton), and Kate Caldarone, as well as four great grandchildren (Jackson and Arthur Sneeden, Owen Page, and Lionel Evensky), and nine nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her sister, Elaine Matter, her brother, James Sloan, and her cousin and fellow Duxburyite, Becky Tonrey.

The family wishes to extend its gratitude to the staff at South Shore Hospital and Pat Roche Hospice Home for their support and attentive care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to either institution, or to Wyoming Seminary. A Celebration of Life in Sarah’s honor will be held this summer

Denise Deborah Wayne was born in Northampton, MA on March 19, 1952 to Frank D. Wayne and Lucille Ruth Wayne. Denise attended the Northampton School for Girls and went on to study English at UMass Amherst and later graduating from Montana State University.

Denise built a meaningful and impactful career as a mortgage lender. Over the years, she proudly helped thousands of individuals and families achieve the dream of homeownership. She understood that a home was more than a financial decision—it was the foundation of a life.

Denise loved the outdoors and loved to travel. She cherished the memories of sneaking away from work to meet up with her children on the slopes at Big Sky, cross-country skiing at Lone Mountain Ranch, camping and fishing along the Madison River, and taking restorative “mental health days” at the beach with her kids. Later in life she had the pleasure of traveling throughout Europe with her son and his family and watching her grandchildren at swim meets throughout the country. These moments brought her great happiness.

Above all else, Denise loved her family. Her children and grandchildren were the center of her world, and her love for them was deep, unwavering, and unconditional. She was a devoted mother and grandmother whose presence will be profoundly missed.

Later in life, Denise met Tony Palano and together they shared many adventures and traveled the world. Denise introduced Tony to her love of hiking and the outdoors. Tony liked to joke that he loved to “hike to the front door of the Marriott,” a line that perfectly captured their shared humor and the joy they found in experiencing life together.

She is survived by her daughter, Sara (Tim) Gram; grandchildren, Will and Georgia Gram of Bozeman, MT; her son Karl (Jennifer) Weidhaas; granddaughter, Elizabeth Weidhaas of Salt Lake City, UT; the love of her life and partner, Tony Palano of Bradenton, FL; and a wealth of extended family and friends in New England, Montana and Florida. She will be missed by all those privileged to know her.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, February 20th from 11 to 1 pm at Robert Toale & Sons at Lakewood Ranch.

In lieu of flowers please consider making donations to: Moffit Cancer Center Ovarian Cancer Research, 12902 USF Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612 or Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, PO Box 32141, New York, NY 10087-2141

Sheila Budnick died on February 5, 2026 in Jupiter, FL at the age of 94.

Born Sheila May Popkin in Springfield, MA, the daughter of Gertrude and Jacob Popkin, she resided in Longmeadow, MA until 1993 when she and her husband Alan Budnick moved to Juno Beach, FL. They also had a residence in New London, CT.

She was a graduate of Northampton School for Girls and attended Wells College and Brandeis University. She and her husband Alan were fundraisers and construction coordinators for the former Heritage Academy building in Longmeadow. They were both heavily committed to many philanthropic endeavors in the local Jewish community as well as national and international causes. She was an active fundraiser for former Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson who was a family friend. From 1970-1980 she was personally involved in extricating emigrants out of the Soviet Union and integrating them into American society, working closely with Senator Ted Kennedy’s office. She served as PTA president at Heritage Academy and was chairperson of the United Jewish Welfare Fund Women’s Division in 1971 and 1973. For 10 years she also managed her father’s thoroughbred racing stable. An avid gardener, she was responsible for landscaping at her FL condo in addition to being secretary of the Board of Directors and liaison to the town of Juno Beach.

In her spare time she indulged in painting, composing rhymes, power walking, cooking and enjoying time with her grandchildren.

She is predeceased by Alan, her beloved husband of 50 years, and her daughter Susan Budnick. She leaves her son Adam and his wife Heather of New Canaan, CT, grandchildren Alexandra and Maxwell and beloved cousins descended from the Popkin families.

To honor Sheila’s dedication to Jewish causes, the family welcomes donations to the Popkin and Budnick Family Philanthropic Fund at the Jewish Endowment Foundation and Rachel’s Table.

Mary Ellen (Keogh) Osgood, of North Andover, Massachusetts, passed away, January 3, 2026, surrounded by those closest to her.

Born on June 11, 1941, in Northampton, Massachusetts, Mary Ellen was the daughter of the late Arthur Connor Keogh and Margaret (Kennedy) Keogh. She grew up in Northampton adjacent to the Smith College campus and attended Northampton School for Girls (now Williston Northampton School). While living in the Pioneer Valley, Mary Ellen met and married her first husband, Robert Allan Williams, and moved to Boston. In 1965, they moved to North Andover with their young daughter. In 1971, Mary Ellen married Gayton Osgood, and they enjoyed a 32 year marriage until Gayton’s death, in 2003.

Building her resume over the years, Mary Ellen worked first in human resources and then as the assistant director for the Andover Recreation Department. In the mid-1970s, she enrolled in classes at Merrimack College and graduated summa cum laude with a degree in history and a teaching certificate in hand. After turns working for several social service agencies, Mary Ellen began a 23-year career teaching in the history department at North Andover High School. During the 1970s, Mary Ellen wrote a series of oral histories for the North Andover Citizen and for inclusion in the Cochichewick Chronicles. Later, the North Andover Improvement Society published some of these, plus some new entries, in a small book entitled “Looking Back – North Andover People and Places.”

Mary Ellen served on the Stevens Memorial Library Board of Trustees for 22 years. She was Chair and a member of the building committee that researched designs, championed blueprints, and helped to procure funding for the library addition and renovation dedicated in 1995. Mary Ellen was passionate about books, history, art and travel. With close friends, she travelled extensively over the years throughout Europe, to Africa, to China, Thailand, and Cambodia, Mexico and across the Untied States. She was known for mentoring young students, volunteering at Bread & Roses, Lawrence General Hospital, and the Stevens Memorial Library book sales, serving as a registrar at Town elections and tutoring older adults in learning English. This last, bringing a love of books to people for the first time, was perhaps her proudest achievement.

Mary Ellen will be remembered as a devoted teacher, stalwart North Andover Citizen, and caring companion to family and close friends. She is survived by her daughter, Andrea Williams of North Andover.

Visiting Hours: A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 am, at The North Parish of North Andover Unitarian Universalist Church, at 190 Academy Road, in North Andover, followed by an informal reception in the public space downstairs. There will be a private Burial at Ridgewood Cemetery in the Spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either Friends of the Stevens Memorial Library (PO Box 992, North Andover, MA 01845 – Friendsofstevensmemlib-na.org) or the North Andover Scholarship Foundation, P.O. Box 524, North Andover, MA 01845 – Memo: Mary Ellen Osgood – https://www.nascholarship.org/donate.htm