John  F.  Canavan, Jr. – 92, of North Reading, died at his home, surrounded by his family on Thursday, December 28, 2017. He was the beloved husband of the late Mildred F. (Mara) Canavan.

Born in Wakefield, MA on June 25, 1925, he was the son of the late John F., Sr. and Ellie (Matson) Canavan. John was raised in Wakefield, and a graduate of Newman Prep and Northeastern University.  John was a U.S. Marine Corps World War II Veteran, serving from 1943 to 1946, he was a Sergeant and participated in the Occupation of China. He worked as a Civil Engineer for the Commonwealth of MA in Springfield, Camp Dresser & McKee Engineering Firm, J.J. Cronin for forty years and also for Heffron Materials and the Town of Andover.
He has been a resident of North Reading for the past 61 years and a member of St. Theresa’s Church, Civil Engineers, The Grandfathers Club, North Reading Loyal Order of Moose, Knights of Columbus and various Town Committees.

John had great love and commitment to his family.  He tirelessly provided both financial and spiritual support to so many throughout his entire extensive family of 9 children, 24 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.  John enjoyed his time watching his children and grandchildren in all areas of interest from school clubs and sports to horse shows.  John was also an avid Red Sox fan and was sure to be seen in town on his daily power walk.

Family members include his loving sons, John F.,III, and wife Stephanie,  William and wife Monica, James and wife Beth and the late Michael Canavan; daughters, Carol Green and late husband Robert Page, Nancy Brooks and husband George, Judy Hall and husband Mark, Kathy Sumner and late husband Bill and Patricia Fiore; brothers, Robert and wife Patricia, Michael and wife Susan and the late Thomas and late wife Jacki, late sisters and their late husbands, Kathryn Mayo and Frank, Ellie Tecce and Joseph and Ethel Arsenault. Also survived by 24 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.

His funeral will be held from the Croswell Funeral Home,19 Bow St., North Reading, on Thursday, January 4, at 9:15 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter St. (Rt. 62), North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, January 3 from 4 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his memory to: Alzheimer’s Association, PO Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011. http://www.croswelfuneralhome.com

Patricia A. (Hammond) Conrad – 88, of North Reading and formerly of South Boston, died Sunday evening, December 24, 2017 at Winchester Hospital. She was the beloved wife of the late Stephen S. Conrad.

Born in Boston, MA on October 2, 1929, she was the daughter of the late George and Marion (Fraser) Hammond.

Pat was a Homemaker and a resident of North Reading for the past 63 years. She worked in Housekeeping at the Sunrise Nursing Home and at the Family Medical Center at Winchester Hospital. She also worked for the North Reading Transcript, Necco Candy Company and Schrafft’s Candy Company.

She was extremely proud of her 13 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Pat was always very independent to the end. She enjoyed sewing, crocheting, puzzles and Collies. She was a member of the Collie Rescue League of New England.

Family members include her loving sons, Stephen Conrad and his companion Karen Clark, John Conrad and his wife Heidi and Michael Conrad; daughters, Barbara Capua, Patricia Fernandes and her husband Manny and Maureen Daniel and her husband Don; she was the sister of the late James, Melville, Joan, Rita, Barbara and Catherine. Also survived by 13 cherished grandchildren, Rob, Paula, Kristin, Melinda, Ralph, Virginia, Scott, Kim, David, Jason, Karen, Kevin and Denise and 17 great grandchildren.

At her request funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in her memory to: Collie Rescue League of New England, P.O. Box 3689, Cranston, RI 02910-0689. Arrangement are by the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Alice C. (Benson) Sadlow – 92, of North Reading and formerly of Brooklyn, NY, died unexpectedly at her home on Monday, December 11, 2017.

Born in Brooklyn, NY on August 13, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Carl A. and Selma A. (Pettersson) Benson.  She was raised in Brooklyn and attended Bay Ridge High School.

Alice worked for many years as an Executive Secretary for Textron and Raytheon companies and she retired at age 75. She has been a resident of North Reading for the past 58 years. Alice was a member of the Union Congregational Church, where she was a member of the Choir for over fifty years. She was also a member of the North Reading League of Women’s Voters, North Reading Theater Workshop, Order of Eastern Star, Senior Echoes (singing group) and Gourmet Club.

Alice was very social. She loved spending time with family, friends and her adoring husband. Her specialty was hosting great parties and dinners.  She loved going out to enjoy music and theater with her many friends. She enjoyed singing, musical theater, traveling, the beach, camping, quilting and cooking.  She also enjoyed photography, gardening and breeding Shepherds.

Family members include her beloved husband of 66 years, Joseph F. Sadlow; her loving son, Carl Sadlow and his wife Renee’ (Bourgea) Sadlow; loving daughter, Christina McCormack; grandchildren, Nicholas (15) and Elizabeth Sadlow (13), Kailyn (16) and Kyle McCormack (12) and her late brother, Roy Benson.

Her funeral will be held on Saturday, December 16 at 10:30 AM at the Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill Street, North Reading. Calling hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday, December 15 from 4 to 7 PM. Interment will be private. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to: Union Congregational Church, 148 Haverhill St., North Reading, MA 01864 or to Grand Chapter of Massachusetts Order of Eastern Star, PO Box 600583, 302 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460, attn.: Isadore Forbes Benevolence.  www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Mary  E. (Desmond) Collins – 87, of North Reading and formerly of Sudbury and Belmont, died at her home surrounded by her loving family on Wednesday, November 29, 2017. She was the beloved wife of the late Arthur J. Collins.

Born in Cambridge, MA on July 16, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Timothy and Grace (Casey) Desmond. She was raised and attended school in Belmont. Mary worked as a Jewelry Sales Associate at Jordan Marsh in Peabody for over fifteen years.

Mary has been a resident of North Reading for the past 42 years. She was an active member of St. Theresa’s Church, where she taught CCD and was a Eucharistic Minister. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She loved family, music, sewing, cooking, knitting, swimming, refinishing furniture and time at the beach.

Family members include her loving children, Donna Kimmel of Florida, Mark Collins and his wife Lee Ann of Sudbury, Brian Collins and his wife Maria of Wilmington, Pat Dolan and her husband Rick of Methuen, Elaine Collins and her wife Donna Pappalardo of Wakefield, Lisa Collins and David Collins, both of North Reading; grandchildren, Chris Kimmel and his wife Amanda, Sean Kimmel and his wife Christy, Timothy Collins, Mark Collins, Jr., Gabrielle Collins, Megan Collins, Stephen Collins, Caitlin Collins, Daniel Collins; great grandchildren, Kate and Emily Kimmel; her brother, Robert Desmond and his wife Ruth of Belmont; she was the sister of the late Paul, Jean and James Desmond and Nancy Herdecker. Also survived by many loving nieces and nephews.

Her funeral will be held from Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Tuesday, December 5 at 9:15 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street (Rt. 62), North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Monday, December 4 from 4 to 8 PM. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to: Mystic Valley Elder Services, 300 Commercial St., No. 19, Malden, MA 02148 or to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, PO Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. www.croswellfunerahome.com

John  N. Arvanites  – 93, of North Reading, formerly of Lowell, MA, died Friday, November 24, 2017 at Winchester Hospital. He was the beloved husband of the late Mary Ann V. (Nuccio) Arvanites.

Born in Lowell, MA on October 23, 1924, he was the son of the late Nicholas J. and Bessie V. (Stamatopoulos) Arvanites, he was the youngest of six children.  John attended Lowell High School and was Captain of his Basketball team and they defeated Somerville in his Senior year, he received a basketball Scholarship to Villanova University, but during the last day of May in 1943, in his Senior year, he was drafted and left to serve his country.

He was a U.S. Army Veteran of World War II, he was a Buck Sergeant in the Triple A Gun Battalion, he served in France, Germany and Belgium and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. After three years of service he was discharged in 1946.

In his early years John was part of the “Lowell Boys Club”, later to be called the YMCA for many years. This is where he fell in love with basketball. The Boys Club played a tournament in Chicago but unfortunately lost.

John lived in the West End in the 50’s. He was part of the “Bullgang”  From 1951 to 1958, he drove the Zamboni at the Old Boston Garden and saw many famous hockey and basketball players. He would joke that the rats were as big as dogs.

John later worked at the Crown Baking Company in Malden, which is where he met his wife Mary. John was a retired DPW Foreman for 27 years for the Town of North Reading and was Superintendent of the Cemetery Department. He was a hardworking man and gave his whole life to his family. He always had a sense of humor. John loved his grandchildren and was always humble and wise. He loved reading his daily newspaper and followed his Boston sports, he loved his Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox and BC Eagles, He enjoyed working in his garden and was an avid landscaper for over 40 years. He has been a resident of North Reading for the past 54 years.

Family members include his loving children, Stephanie Arvanites of Wakefield, Christine Dumont and her husband Randy of North Andover, Paula Melo and her late husband Fernando of North Reading, Nicholas Arvanites of Lynn and his girlfriend Leslie Condon and his late son Christopher Arvanites; he was the brother of the late George and Arthur “Duke”  Arvanites, Helen Plantamura, Millie Aceto and Penny Anastasopoulos; seven cherished grandchildren, Andrea Arvanites of Melrose, Christopher Desmond of Wakefield, Nicole Dumont of North Andover, twins, Ava and Sophia Melo of North Reading, Hayllee and Alessa Arvanites of Wakefield; brothers-in-law, Joseph Nuccio of Lynn and Louis Nuccio of Billerica and sister-in-law, Barbara Raftery of Everett; also loved by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral will be held from the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Friday, December 1 at 9:00 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM Funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Church, 63 Winter Street (Rt. 62), North Reading. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, November 30 from 4 to 8 PM. Interment will be in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. Memorial donations may be made in his memory to the charity of one’s choice.