Evelyn Swezey

Evelyn P. Swezey, 84, of Hopkinton passed away Feb. 12. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, she was the daughter of the late Martha (Bolton) and Harold Swezey.

A Hopkinton resident since 1978, Evelyn attended Middlebury College in Vermont for a year before spending a glorious year at the Sorbonne in Paris. While in Paris, she attended a party at Salvador Dali’s house, where she enjoyed meeting many famous people.

She worked for the New England Home for Little Wanderers, where her skills in caring for and nurturing troubled children were noted, and she was encouraged to continue her education. Evey completed her bachelor’s degree and earned an advanced placement Master of Social Work from Boston University in 1980. She was very proud of this achievement. She inspired her niece, Linda, to also get a degree in social work. Evey worked for Prime Computer and Staples, from which she retired in 2005. While she did not directly work in the field of social work, she always brought her social work skills to her interactions with the people she came in touch with, from complex customer service challenges at Prime and Staples, to being the calm listening ear for friends at the Hopkinton Senior Center, to her last few years at Countryside Health Care, where she served on the Residents Council and was an informal  “ambassador” to isolated residents.

She was a “people person” and had many lifelong friends. She loved traveling and cruising, having a “toddy” with friends, and taking advantage of any opportunity for fun and adventure. She loved visiting Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket with her niece, gaining from her the lifelong nickname “Swizzle.” She was an epicurean and loved to savor foods from other cultures, especially seafood. She knew how to enjoy life.

Evelyn is survived by six nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her siblings, Robert J. Swezey and Barbara Page Krahl.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe Street. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the funeral home. Private burial will be held in Troy, New York.

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