Edward J. Crane, Jr.
Beloved husband, father and brother;

Attorney Edward  J. “Ted” Crane, Jr. , 84, of Hollis NH, died Friday afternoon, December 11, 2020, at Southern New Hampshire Medical Center following a brief illness. He was the husband of Ruth (McCaughey) (Garner) Crane of Hollis, NH, who survives him.

Ted was loving, generous and compassionate, devoted to his family and a true friend to those who knew him well, He will be dearly missed by us all.

Born in Holden, MA, January 17, 1936, the son of the late Edward J. Crane, MD and the late Louise E. (Dumont) Crane, he was raised in Holden and Rye Beach, NH.

He attended The Rice Elementary School in Holden, then graduated from St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA in the Class of 1954. In 1958 he graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA with a BS in Economics,

In 1959, he graduated from the US Coast Guard Officer Candidate School in New London, CT and was commissioned as an Ensign. He was the assigned to several duty stations among them as a member of the flight crew on the International Ice Patrol out of Argentia, Newfoundland. He remained a member of the US Coast Guard Reserve until 1976, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

In 1962 Ted enrolled at the Boston University, School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1965.

He then joined the Legal Department at State Mutual Life Insurance Company in Worcester, MA focusing on business and finance law. In 1972, Ted joined John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance in Boston, MA. His specialty was in the fields of Banking and Investments. He retired in 2001 as Senior Vice President and Counsel Investment Law Division. Ted was appointed to the Board of Directors of First Signature Bank and Trust in Portsmouth, NH.

Besides his wife , he is survived by a son Edward J. Crane, III, and his wife Yuko (Takahashi) of Arlington; two sisters Mary Louise Keenan (James) of Lowell, and Helen E. VanSon of Huntingtown, MD; a brother John W. Crane (Patricia O’Donnell) of Mt Pleasant, SC and Rye Beach, NH; and several nieces and nephews. He was also the brother-in-law of the late L. George VanSon.

In keeping with his request and also Covid -19 restrictions, services and a Celebration of His Life will held at a later date. Those wishing may make a contribution in his memory to the NHSPCA, PO Box 196, 104 Portsmouth Ave. Stratham, NH 03885 or to AFTD, 2700 Horizon Drive Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA 19406. E-condolences may be made to odonnellfuneralhome.com.  Arrangements  by James. F. O’Donnell, Jr. of the O’Donnell Funeral  Home

Mary G. Anastopoulos

Lowell, loving wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend; 91

LOWELL -- Mary G. Anastopoulos, a resident of the Highlands section of Lowell, died peacefully at her home Friday morning, December 11th, 2020. Mary was the wife of the late John A. Anastopoulos who died May 9, 2010.

Born in Lowell on October 26, 1929, Mary was the youngest of eleven children in the family of the late George and Eugenia (Bilonis) Antonopoulos.  Mary was raised in the Acre section of Lowell where she met her husband and formed many lifelong friendships. As a first generation child of Greek immigrants, Mary was very proud of her Greek heritage. She attended Lowell public schools and graduated from Lowell High School, Class of 1947.

Nothing was more important to Mary than her family. She was a devoted wife, a loving mother, a doting grandmother, and a caring aunt. Mary was also very devoted to her network of close friends. Nothing pleased her more than having her family and friends get together for social gatherings at her home. She loved to cook, and the many different main courses and desserts she served were legendary.

Mary was an exceptionally warm and caring person who routinely put the needs of others ahead of her own. She always made herself available to family and friends in their times of need, listening to their concerns, and offering whatever assistance and support they might need.

Mary’s concerns for others extended beyond her family. She was active in her church community (GOYA), taught Sunday school, served as a Girl Scout leader, performed volunteer work in the Reading Is Fundamental Program, and hosted many international students through Up with People.

Mary was also very passionate about the world in which she lived. A lifelong Democrat, Mary devoted a great deal of time and effort to various local, state, and national political activities of the Democratic party and its candidates. She was especially proud to serve as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. In 1989, she was honored by the Greater Lowell Area Democrats as the Distinguished Democrat of the Year.

Mary is survived by a son, Dr. Arthur D. Anastopoulos and his wife Dr. Terri L. Shelton of Greensboro NC; a son, Mark S. Anastopoulos and his wife Nancy Parker of Chelmsford; a daughter, Beth J. Anastopoulos and her husband, Charles F. Perrault of Methuen; five grandchildren, Dr. John Tyler Anastopoulos and his wife Dr. Jessica Burkhart Anastopoulos of Jamestown NC, Sarah Perrault of Methuen, Emily Perrault of New York, NY, Kathryn Anastopoulos, and Kristen Anastopoulos of Chelmsford; and several nieces, nephews, and their families.

A Private Funeral Service was held at the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME , followed by her Private Burial at the Westlawn Cemetery in Lowell. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and concerns, her Funeral Service and Burial were private. A memorial celebration of her life will be held at a to-be-determined date and time when it is safe for such a gathering to occur.  E-condolences at www.odonnellfuneralhome. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, or any other Alzheimer’s charitable organization of your choice.  Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O'Donnell, Jr. (978) 458-8768.

Joshua Richard Sawicki

Beloved husband, father, son, brother and friend;

Joshua Richard Sawicki, 38, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and formerly of Tewksbury, Massachusetts died unexpectedly on Monday December 14th, 2020 at UMass Memorial HealthAlliance - Clinton Hospital in Leominster.

He is survived by his loving wife Stephanie M. (Flynn) Sawicki, with whom he recently celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on August 15th, 2020.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, October 7th, 1982, son of Richard W. and Elizabeth F. (Zybert) Sawicki, Josh attended Tewksbury Public Schools and graduated from Shawsheen Technical High School in Billerica in 2001. He went on to receive his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from ITT Technical Institute in 2009.

Currently, Josh was a Senior Electronic Technician with ERS in Marlborough, Massachusetts.

A good athlete, Josh played soccer in high school and loved hiking, camping and playing golf. He had a passion for gardening and truly enjoyed having “his girls” helping him tend to the garden. Josh was an active member of Scouting, first as a Cub Scout, Pack #49 and then as a Boy Scout, with Troop #49, both based out of St. William’s Church in Tewksbury. He served as a volunteer with the TEC Program at the church, where he first met his wife Stephanie.

Josh was truly a gem. Everyone who remembers Josh would say he was the type of guy that was hard to miss. He had a big loving personality and he could fix anything, big or small. He always had a desire to help and do kind deeds for everyone around him. He loved helping others and was truly a “Mr. Fix-it.” It was who he was, a kind person who gave till it hurt. There are not many people like him in this world. He was someone who gave so very much of himself to everyone around him. He was an amazing dad. His three daughters, Mariella, Emelia, and Aryia, were his pride and joy. He loved and adored them and his wife, Stephanie, immensely and it was apparent when you were around him.

In his final moments, Josh told a dear friend to “Just make sure Steph is ok”. Josh was an incredible human being, and his smile and loving personality is something that had to be witnessed to be believed. He left this world too early and will be missed beyond words.

In addition to his wife and parents, Josh is survived by his three loving daughters Mariella K. Sawicki, Emelia J. Sawicki and Aryia B. Sawicki of Fitchburg; two brothers Jared D. Sawicki and his wife Kristen of Dracut and Jeremy M. Sawicki and his wife Brittany of Methuen; many nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, and cousins. His mother-in-law Carolyne M. Flynn of Chelmsford; his in-laws Frank T. Flynn, Sara C. Tannahill, Matthew N. Flynn, Rachel E. Flynn and her fiancé Aaron C. Pinkham, and Michael D. Carignan.

He was the son-in-law of the late James K. Flynn.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Visitation at the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME 276 PAWTUCKET ST. in Lowell on Tuesday December 22nd, 2020 from 4 to 8 P.M. Due to gathering restrictions, the Funeral will be held privately for the family. E-condolences at www.odonnellfuneralhome.com. Those wishing may make contributions in his memory to https://www.gofundme.com/f/josh-sawickis-family Arrangements by Funeral Director James F. O’Donnell, Jr. (978) 458-8768.  

Stella L. Couris

Beloved mother, grandmother, sister and friend;

Stella L. (Stamas) Couris, 84, of San Diego, California, formerly of Lowell, died Monday, December 14, 2020 at St. Paul’s Villa in San Diego, CA after a long illness.

She was the loving wife of the late Theodore E. Couris, who died April 22, 2018.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, January 1, 1936, a daughter of the late Leonidas and the late Esther (Kostalakos) Stamatakakos, she attended Lowell schools and was a graduate of Lowell High School. She went on to attend Merrimack College.

Prior to her marriage, she worked for Uhl Associates.  Later she was a homemaker until returning to the workforce as a legal secretary in the Ulster County (NY) Public Defender's Office.

Stella and her husband lived in Kingston, New York for over 30 years and were quite active in the community. She was a past President of the PTA at Myer Elementary School in Hurley, NY and was a past President of the former Home for the Aged in Ulster County.   In addition, she served as the President of the Philoptochos Society of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Kingston, NY.

She is survived by her son Michael T. Couris MD and his wife Erika (Paraskevopoulos) Couris of La Jolla, CA, a granddaughter Katelyn Couris of La Jolla; two grandsons Theodore Couris of La Jolla, CA and Matthew Couris of Hawthorne, NJ; a brother Harry Stamas and his wife Christine of Tyngsboro; a brother James and his wife Ann of Lowell, and several nieces and nephews.

Stella was also the sister of the late George Stamas, her twin, and the late Peter Stamas. Her son Matthew George predeceased her.

. Those wishing may make contributions in her memory to the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Fr. John Sarantos Way, Lowell, MA 01854. Arrangements by the O’DONNELL FUNERAL HOME - LOWELL- MA – 978-458-8768.