Sheila Helen (Boland) (Guard) Facella

METHUEN - Our Mother, Shelia, passed away peacefully at her home on July 4, 2020 with her children by her side.

Born in Bradford, MA, she was the daughter of the late Thomas H. and Mary V. (Cronin) Boland.

She was educated at Sacred Hearts Grammar School and graduated with, the Saint James High School class of 1951.  She became a Hairdresser, beginning at Annette’s in Washington Square, and in the early 1970’s was an instructor of Hairdressing at Essex Aggie in Danvers, MA. She eventually worked as an operator for New England Telephone in Haverhill and Woburn, MA, and finally finishing her career, retiring from Computer Associates in Andover, MA.

Sheila was an avid gardener and was a former member of the Rye Garden Club. In her opinion a garden could never have enough “color “and spent many hours making sure that there was. She also volunteered with Hospice while living in Rye.  She loved to travel and was fortunate enough to enjoy the United Sates from steam boating on the Mississippi River, to the Colorado mountains,  to South Carolina and the sands of the lower Cape Cod as well as parts of Europe; the Tulip Festival in Amsterdam, seeing the Eifel Tower and Versailles and her favorite,  attending a Papal Mass at the Vatican were among some of her adventures. 

She enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She also loved to play cards from 45’s to Whist with her girlfriend Phyllis Ducharme and “the girls”, and shopping with or just having a cup of tea and “much chatting” with one of her longest friends, Joan Lewis. She and John along with Joan and Dick Lewis enjoyed many seasons at North Shore Music Theatre and dinner after the show. Although the last few years had been difficult, she always rose to the occasion and tried to enjoy each day as it came.

In 1956, She married Dr. J. Edward Guard (1932-1977) of Haverhill and they raised their four children. She was predeceased by her son David R. Guard (1957-2011) and is survived by her children, Maureen A. Guard of Sumter, SC, Christopher T. Guard and his spouse David F. Maroon of Methuen, MA with whom she shared a home and Alicia B. Mazza and her partner, Dennis O’Brien of Deerfield, NH.  She is also survived by her grandchildren Jessica Carey  (John Carey 1969-2016) and her daughters Izabella and Madison, Sarah Guard and her daughter Zoe, Benjamin and Kathleen Mazza and their children Evelyn and Finnegan, Emily Mazza and her Fiancé, PFC Jose Ares, US Army, and Lance Corporal Jacob Sieczkowski of the USMC.

In 1984 she married John J. Facella (1933-2002) of Lawrence, MA residing in Haverhill and eventually Rye, NH. She also leaves behind her stepchildren Mary Lou and Alfred Arcidi of Rye, NH, their children, son Alfred and his wife Kelli and their children, daughter Lauren and husband Jason and their children, and sons Michael and Andrew Arcidi; Nadine and Chris Piazza of Kingston, NH  and her daughters, Amanda and her husband John and Amy and her husband Kevin; Carol Kummins, of Hampton Falls, NH and her son Berkley, the late Anthony Facella (1962-2013) and his sons John and Anthony Facella and Catherine Facella and her partner, Steven DeFina of Bradford.

Sheila was one of 6 children. She also leaves behind her brother James P. and Rose Boland of Haverhill and William A. and Maureen Boland of Methuen, MA, and many nieces, and nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her sister Mary V. Boland, brother Thomas H. and his wife Eleanor Boland, and sister Katherine V. and her husband H. William Flanagan.  

Her Family would like to thank her team of care givers over that last few years, Eleanor Yazbek, Maureen Cohen, Marie Balsamo, Patricia Pattinude, Blanca Sarango, Nada Asmar and Luz Rosado as well as Merrimack Valley Hospice.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 7, in the Driscoll Funeral Home, 309 S. Main Street, Haverhill from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Services will begin on Wednesday morning in the funeral home at 9:00 AM. Funeral Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in Sacred Hearts Church, 165 S. Main Street, Haverhill at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow in St. James Cemetery, Haverhill. Please note to wear face coverings and social distancing measures will be in place. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Giving, 500 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or through www.stjude.org. For guestbook, visit www.driscollcares.com

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