Maryellen Pettine

Maryellen Pettine died Monday, April 18, 2016. She was, since high school, the lifelong companion, wife and best friend of Thomas Pettine and to whom she was married for 34 years and Maryellen was the mother of three children, Matthew Pettine of Attleboro, Kevin and Allison Pettine both of Somerset. Maryellen was a resident of Somerset, but was born in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1954.

She was the daughter of Frank and Eleanor (Sullivan) Tansey both late of Fall River, Massachusetts. She was the daughter-in-law of Edward and the late Constance Pettine.

Maryellen was a much-loved woman with a wide circle of friends; a quick wit yet a compassionate person without pretension of any sort. Maryellen was a librarian by profession, she was vigorously involved in all her children’s and her husband’s activities. Maryellen attended Sacred Hearts Academy (SHA) from preprimary through her high school graduation; at SHA she was a member of St. Margaret’s team as was her mother and her sister; she graduated from Bristol Community College and attended Bridgewater State College. She was also a member of Fall River Country club.

Maryellen became a grandmother on 11 April of this year and she cherished and loved her grandson, Weston Thomas, with all her heart soul.

Maryellen was not a proud person at all; rather she was a “proud of” woman- She was proud of her husband and her three children, Matt, Kevin and Allison and their wives Tara and Brittany and Allison’s companion Kyle, all of whom she loved dearly and forever, and they loved her and were proud of her in return.

Maryellen was proud of her mother and father, Frank and Eleanor and proud of her in-laws, Ted and Connie. She was proud of her brother Jim and sister Anne and proud of her sisters-in-law Donna, Anne, Linda and Karen and her brothers-in-law Ted and Mike- and proud of all of her friends and she had many; Maryellen’s family and friends were and are forever in her mind, her heart and her soul, as she is in theirs.

Her family and her friends knew her as loving, self-effacing, reliable, loyal, generous, and thoughtful. She demanded that you do your best (as she did), she was organized and expected you to be and she could be sharp when you failed to meet her standards. You were disappointed in yourself, if she was disappointed in you.

Maryellen and Tom annually hosted Thanksgiving Dinner for family and friends with attendance frequently over 40 people, the Thanksgiving celebration began after the many area high school football games and often ended early the following morning with turkey sandwiches and a table of desserts- no one wanted to leave.

To be invited to this dinner was to enter a friendship and bond with Maryellen, Tom and all the other invitees; everyone there was family. Maryellen hosted her last Thanksgiving dinner November 2015; she began this tradition in 1984. Guests in that house found the true meaning of friendship.

Maryellen’s husband, her children and all her family and many friends were with her to see her off on her journey; and the wait to see her again as they once waited to receive her Thanksgiving invitation. Maryellen’s daily presence is gone but her eternal presence lives on in all who know and loved her.

Her Funeral will be held on Friday, April 22, 2016 at 9:00AM from the Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute at Waring-Sullivan Homes of memorial tribute at Rose E. Sullivan, 866 County Street, Somerset, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:00AM in St. Thomas Moore Church, 386 Luther Ave, Somerset. Visiting hours Thursday from 4:00 to 7:00PM. Burial in St. Patrick’s Cemetery, Fall River. In lieu of flowers please make a contribution to the Maryellen Pettine Library education Fund at Bristol Community College Foundation, 77 Elsbree Street, Fall river, MA For tributes or directions: www.waring-sullivan.com