Carolyn Purtell

Carolyn (Swan) Purtell, age 82 of Dartmouth, MA, passed away Sunday, October 11, 2020 in St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. She was the loving wife of Joseph W. Purtell to whom she had been married for 57 years.

Born in Cambridge, MA the daughter of the late Arthur F. and Genevieve A. (Steele) Swan, Carolyn was a graduate of Belmont High School. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Emmanuel College in Boston and later in her career, earned her Masters of Special Education from Framingham State College.

She was a communicant and member of the choir at St. Julie Billiart Parish in Dartmouth, MA, St. Joseph’s Parish in Stuart, FL, St. John Neumann Parish in Freetown, MA, St. Catherine’s Church in Little Compton, RI, and St. Bartholomew’s Parish and St. Joseph’s Parish in Needham, MA.

Mrs. Purtell worked as a Special Education teacher for over 45 years, teaching at the Charles River School, Dedham Country Day School and in the Newton, Lincoln, and Middleborough School systems. As a reading specialist, she loved teaching and tutoring learners of all ages.

As an accomplished vocalist, Carolyn was a member of Chorus Pro Musica in Boston for over 30 years. She sang with the Boston Pops, summer concerts at Tanglewood, many operas in Boston, and had the honor of singing at the funeral mass of the late President John F. Kennedy. She played the violin as a member of the State Youth Orchestra and shared her love of music with her children.

Mrs. Purtell was an avid gardener and a member of the Sogkonate Garden Club. She also enjoyed coastal sailing with her husband and family who are all active boaters today.

Carolyn had a knack for piecing together a social group in any new environment and building community through a common purpose. From leading Girl Scouts to making sandwiches for the Pine Street Inn to rallying her garden club to help launch the Allens Pond Duck Derby, Carolyn loved to pitch in, get creative, and do whatever needed to be done while bringing along others in the process. She cherished and retained friends from every chapter of her life.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by three children, Joseph S. Purtell and his wife Gwen of Beverly, Regina Purtell of Dartmouth and Gregory M. Purtell and his wife Krista of Danvers; five grandchildren: Conor, Joey, Avery, Kiana, and Jenny Purtell, and many nieces and nephews. Mrs. Purtell was the devoted mother of the late Army Veteran Thomas A. Purtell and the only sibling of the late Genevieve Swan Benvenuto.

Her visitation will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2020 from 11:30am to 1:30pm in the Waring-Sullivan Funeral Home, 230 Russells Mills Rd., 02748 Dartmouth followed by her Mass of Christian Burial at 2pm in St. Julie Billiart Parish, 494 Slocum Rd., Dartmouth. Her burial will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in her honor may be made to Mass Audubon’s Allens Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, 1280 Horseneck Rd, Westport, MA 02790 or www.massaudubon.org/allenspond. For directions, full obituary or to send an online tribute, please visit: www.waring-sullivan.com.