With hearts full of sorrow, we announce the passing of our beautiful mom, Dolores “De” Szwarc, who died peacefully on Monday, March 23 surrounded by loving family at the age of 72.
Born in Winthrop on September 29, 1953 and one of four children of the late Saverio and Antonina (Marabello) DiCarlo, De was raised in Somerville, where she attended St. Clement High School and where she would meet her future husband of nearly 52 years, Edward Gary Szwarc. Never one to stray far from home, she proudly attended the Somerville Hospital School of Nursing, where she became a registered nurse who would go on to work for Somerville Hospital/Cambridge Health Alliance for 48 dedicated years until her retirement.
Together De and Gary shared an amazing life, first settling in Medford where they raised their three girls before building their dream home in North Billerica 26 years ago. De poured her heart into her home, making it warm and inviting for all particularly with her passion for cooking. Each week seemed to bring new delicious recipes to the table for her family, driven by her enjoyment watching cooking shows and social media chefs. Her culinary talents were the showcase of every holiday, which she loved because it represented bringing her most cherished family together.
Outside the home, De never missed an opportunity for fun, defined in her own way, of course. She enjoyed shopping and will forever be remembered for her signature style of quilted jackets, oversized cowl-neck and button-down shirts, and wool clogs, which she wore even on the hottest of days, and always with a cup of Dunkin’ coffee nearby. She treasured summers in Cape Cod when her kids were young, helping them fish for minnows all day and topping many nights off with a plate of perfect fried clams and a few games of scopa. More recent years, after her Y2K New Year’s resolution to be “wild and crazy,” sent De jet-setting on many adventures to Aruba and Las Vegas with friends and family with whom she discovered the peace of floating in the ocean, the zing of (just a few sips of) a margarita, and the thrill of hitting the jackpot on a slot machine.
Consistent with her lifelong assertion that she was the best dancer in high school, De loved music. She would often be one of the first people on the dance floor at a wedding and never shied away from cranking the volume up when her favorite beats played on the radio. Together with her daughters she relished going to concerts, watching musical talent shows on television, and living vicariously through her young granddaughter’s hip hop performances.
What made De most special is that she never missed an opportunity to help others. Her unparalleled selflessness and generosity meant that she always showed up for the people she loved and with a grounding presence, no less - whether it was for her daughters, her mom, her patients, or her friends and colleagues. De shined brightest in her role as a doting Nonni to her granddaughter, with whom she shared an incredible bond that will never be forgotten.
She was funny. She was humble, and proud. She was strong.
She was kind, and absolutely one of a kind.
Besides her husband, De is survived by her daughters, Suzanne Dahlberg and her husband Eric of Concord, Lianne Lucontoni and her husband James of Chelmsford, and Danielle Fiore and her husband Ralph of North Billerica; her brother, Tony DiCarlo and his wife Leslie of Maine; and her granddaughter, Linnea Dahlberg. She was the sister of the late Sandro DiCarlo and Salvy DiCarlo. She is also survived by many adored cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to gather in honor of De’s life during Visiting Hours at the Sweeney Memorial Funeral Home, 66 Concord Road, Billerica from 1-4 pm on Sunday, March 29. A funeral mass will be held at St. Irene’s Catholic Church, 181 East Street, Carlisle at 10:30 am on Monday, March 30. Her burial will take place at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. Memorial contributions may be made in De’s name LUNGevity Foundation at https://www.lungevity.org/.
Previous Events
Visitation
29
Mar
66 Concord Road
Billerica, MA 01821
Funeral Mass
30
Mar
187 East St.
Carlisle, MA 01741
Burial
30
Mar
302 Elm St.
Everett, MA 02149
