Veronica J Phalen

Veronica Joan Phalen, of Norwood and Duxbury, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully in her Norwood home on December 21, 2019, at age 95. She is on her way to reuniting with her beloved husband of 62 years, George Phalen.

Veronica was born in Norwood on July 17, 1924, to Katherine and John Daunt, who had emigrated from Ireland to the Boston area in the early 1900s. She and George married in 1947 and became parents to seven children: Mary Hood (John), James Phalen (Rosemary), Ann Flaherty, Joan Phalen (Charles), Patricia Godbolt, David Phalen (Jean), and Stephen Phalen (Carol).

During the Civil Rights Movement, Veronica told her husband that she wanted to be a freedom rider. He gently reminded her that they had seven kids under 19. Then, after reading an article in the Boston Globe that said that 70 percent of the black boys in foster care would end up in prison by the time they were 21, she said, “Let’s adopt an African American boy.” Shortly thereafter, George and Veronica adopted their eighth child, Earl Phalen, out of foster care at the age of two.

Veronica was a steadfast supporter of her family, traveling the world with her husband supporting his career and encouraging all her children to pursue a wide variety of interests, passions, and extra-curricular activities. She believed in the power of education and was a strong supporter of the Norwood schools. She also had an enormous capacity to love. Her children remember their mother’s profound love for them but also for so many others whose lives intersected with hers. This included many neighbors and friends – she was an avid golfer and longtime member of the Marshfield County Club – but also strangers she happened to meet in the course of her day to day life. She firmly believed that every individual was important, no matter what their life circumstances might be, and that everyone had an interesting story to tell.

And she’d often remember these stories years down the road, as her ability to recall the details of people’s lives was unparalleled. This eventually extended to the 30 grandchildren to whom Veronica became a cherished “Nana.” As the family expanded, Nana still somehow managed to know the names, ages, birthdays, interests, and recent life milestones of every single grandchild: Jake, Pat, Daniel, Michael, Jaime, Kristin, Brian, Kevin, Ben, Chris, Donald, Leah, Caroline, Keith, Lino, Sean, Aaron, Veronica, Jordan, Kyle, Anthony, Joseph, William, James, Catherine, Elizabeth, Nicole, Casey, Rachel, and Amy. Nana also seemed to always be able to keep track of each of their whereabouts at any given time during the epic summer family reunions playing whiffle ball and Kick the Can, and she would somehow never seem to forget (much to their chagrin) who had been accused of cheating during the annual Thanksgiving flag football games. Despite being able to keep everyone on their toes, Nana will also be forever remembered as an exceedingly dedicated, loving, and generous grandmother who not only always believed in her grandchildren but was their biggest cheerleader as they pursued their hopes and dreams. Nana also leaves behind 20 great-grandchildren who will no doubt carry on her family legacy.

Nana’s legacy is also carried on through the charter school network founded by her son Earl in 2013. The George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy was the first of twenty charter schools that are part of the national Phalen Leadership Academy (PLA) network, which has become the largest African American-run charter school network in the country. Today, PLA serves more than 10,000 students and many of its charter schools are among the highest-performing schools in their districts.

Before becoming Mom and Nana, Veronica graduated from Norwood High’s class of 1942 and received her nursing degree from Boston City Hospital in 1945. She grew up with five siblings, all predeceased: John, Jerome, Ann, Mary, and Peg. She also leaves behind many loving nieces and nephews.

Veronica’s family will have a private celebration of her life. In lieu of flowers, please consider leaving a gift in her memory to Phalen Leadership Academies at www.phalenacademies.org.