Carol A. Swanson (Johnson), age 89, a woman of deep faith and creative spirit, passed away on February 5, 2026. A longtime resident of North Reading, Carol’s life was defined by her devotion to her family, her community, and the quiet joy of a hand-stitched quilt.

Born and raised in Peabody, Carol eventually settled in North Reading, where she spent the majority of her life. She was a dedicated parishioner of St. Theresa’s Church, where her faith was a guiding light and a constant source of strength.

Carol was a gifted seamstress and quilter, and her family will always cherish the beautiful pieces she meticulously crafted. Her hands were rarely still; when she wasn’t sewing, she was often giving back to her original hometown by volunteering at the Peabody Senior Center. Carol also lived life with great energy—she was a regular at aqua aerobics and found immense joy in the theater, frequently attending plays and musicals with friends and family.

Above all, Carol loved her family deeply. She was the heart of every gathering and the steady hand her loved ones always relied on.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Clyde Swanson.

Carol also leaves behind her loving children: Susan Fitzgerald and her partner Michael Poltack; Eric Swanson and his wife Pam; and Lynne Day and her husband Michael. She was the cherished grandmother of Casey Fitzgerald, Ian Fitzgerald, and Dylan Fitzgerald and his fiancée Taylor O’Clair. She is also survived by her only great-grandchild, Reese Fitzgerald.

Arrangements are under the care of Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. At the request of the family, services and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Carol’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (alzfdn.org). Contributions may also be made to the Peabody Senior Center or St. Theresa’s Parish in North Reading.

Fred Hitchins – 76, of Plymouth, formerly of Abington and North Reading, following a dignified battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Fred was born on March 22nd1949 in Chelsea, MA to the late Arthur and Philomena (Greico) Hitchins and grew up in North Reading. After graduating from North Reading High School in 1967, he embarked on a long and successful career in business, including ventures at Empire Clothing and Ward Brothers in Maine in the 1980s. In the later years of his career, he worked for Products Plus in partnership with his dear friend, Bruce Warneck. Even as his cognition declined, Fred maintained his professionalism and fashion sense-always seen in dress pants and a button-up.

Fred was an avid fan of stock car racing, traveling throughout New England as part of a Busch North team in the early 1990s. Fixing things and tinkering around the house were lifelong passions. Fred was rarely idle. In retirement, he’d constantly be thinking up a new project, one of his proudest being the creation of his backyard koi pond. He took pride in his landscaping and cherished spending time with his grandchildren, especially watching his granddaughter’s softball games. On summer evenings, he could often be found enjoying a Red Sox game on his back deck. He enjoyed Papa Gino’s pizza and a hot dog on Fridays and a Friendly’s hot fudge sundae any day of the week. If anyone needed a helping hand, Fred was the first to offer it.

Fred was the loving father of Michael and Sarah Hitchins of Middleborough, and Jennifer and Brandon Doherty of Norfolk; the beloved Papa of Lucy and Henry Hitchins; the cherished brother of Barbara and Anthony Zeimetz of Andover, Robert and Ellen Hitchins of Wilmington, and Kathy and Tim Gallant of North Reading. He is also survived by his former wife, Debra Hitchins of Plymouth and their loyal companion Montana, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Donald Hitchins, and dogs Nook, KC, Bandit, and Dakota.

Fred’s family is immensely grateful to the staff of Sunrise of Plymouth Beach for their compassionate care over the past year and a half.

His funeral will be held on Saturday, January 31 at 12:30 PM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery in North Reading. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Fred’s honor to the Alzheimer’s Association.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

Julie E. (LaCoste) Di Meo – 59, of North Reading and formerly of Lynnfield, died unexpectedly on Friday, January 15, 2026.

Born in Melrose, MA on July 1, 1966. She was the daughter of the late Richard C. and Virginia E. (Stephan) LaCoste.

Julie was raised and attended school in Lynnfield and was a graduate of Lynnfield High School. She has been a resident of North Reading for the past 30 years.

Julie was an Executive Vice President for the Eastern Insurance Company in Wakefield.

She was a loving wife, caring friend, devoted daughter and loving sister. She enjoyed gardening and baking.

Family members include her loving husband of 30 years, Frank A. Di Meo; brothers, Richard S. LaCoste and Donald G. LaCoste; sisters, Lauren G. LaCoste and Susan R. LaCoste.

Her funeral will be held on Saturday, January 24 at 1:00 PM at the Centre Congregational Church, 5 Summer Street, Lynnfield. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 23, from 4 to 7 PM at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading. Interment will be held in Forest Hill Cemetery in Lynnfield.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Shelley Law (Conron) Montanaro, age 68, of Pelham, NH. Shelley passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on January 15, 2026 following a long and courageous battle with cancer. She is survived by her loving husband of 46 years, James Montanaro.

Shelley was the daughter of the late Edward F and Barbara Jane (Rodgers) Conron. She was born on May 25, 1957 in Winchester, MA, and grew up in North Reading, MA where she later raised her own family. She graduated from North Reading High School and Endicott College. In her early years she worked as a commercial artist, and later worked as a nursery school teacher and then as a pre-op coordinator at Lahey Hospital. Throughout her 68 years, Shelley touched countless lives with her wisdom, humor and unwavering perseverance.

Shelley cherished time spent with family and friends, especially quality time with her grandchildren. She always had a fun game or silly project up her sleeve such as Christmas in July with yard games galore, Super Bowl trivia for kids, or some kind of friendly competition with sweet prizes. Family meant everything to her, and she treasured vacations, holidays, and any moment when everyone was together.

She found happiness in meaningful conversation, quiet moments journaling and writing poetry, spending time with her dogs, watching favorite films, shopping with friends, playing games with her grandkids, and staying closely connected to those she loved whether it be by phone, visit, letter, or text— and was always available to lend an ear and just listen or offer help to anyone that needed support. Small gestures mattered deeply to her- a handwritten note, a surprise gift, a lunchbox message, a cheerful “just checkin’ in” text filled with emojis, or fresh cookies waiting on the counter. Shelley was widely known and deeply loved, leaving such an impression that even everyday acquaintances reached out to express their fondness and concern for her.

Creativity was central to Shelley’s life.  Shelley had a talent for arts, crafts, drawing, and painting and enjoyed creating things in her own special way.  She also enjoyed gardening and tending to her flowers, bird watching, attracting and feeding different species of birds and made sure they all had a place to get food, especially in the winter. She loved to frequent gift shops and farm stands, collecting meaningful pieces over the years that filled her home and were often transformed into heartfelt gifts for others.

Shelley was driven by an endless thirst for knowledge and often imparted life lessons onto those around her. Shelley marched to the beat of her own drum and proudly embraced who she was. She passionately shared her strong opinions when it mattered to her, whether it was for or against an issue or cause that she felt was important and needed to share with others. Social media was a common platform for communicating those feelings.

She deeply loved animals, especially dogs and was a devoted supporter of dog rescue organizations and supported them as much as possible through communication as well as adoptions. Shelley and her husband fostered and adopted many dogs, who were cherished members of the family.

Above all, Shelley was a selfless person who cared about everyone else before herself. She found joy in life’s simple blessings… sunshine on her face, laughter from her children and grandchildren, the loyalty of a rescued dog that has finally found the love and protection of a forever home, the first signs of spring, and the quiet comfort of knowing loved ones were near. She believed in small signs from a lingering bird, butterfly, or heart-shaped reminder, that told her someone special was watching over her.

Shelley leaves behind immediate family members including daughter Jennifer Carlstrom and husband Alan of Pelham, NH, son Jason Montanaro and wife Amy of Woburn, MA, son Timothy Montanaro and wife Jessica of Windham, NH and daughter Stacie Montanaro of North Andover, MA. Grandchildren include Ryder Carlstrom, Brayden Carlstrom, Aliya Carlstrom, and Taylor Montanaro. Shelley is survived by her brother Scott Conron of Gilmanton, NH and Jensen Beach, FL, and extended family including nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws.

Shelley touched the lives of all who knew her. Her selflessness, warmth, and generous spirit will be remembered always.  She leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and compassion that lives on through her family and friends. We will find her in the stars, in gardens filled with her favorite flowers, in birds visiting the yard and everywhere in between.

In Shelley’s own words: “So in the end, remember… the ‘good stuff.’ The memories and moments- they are gone in a BLINK so don’t waste them. Be thankful for what we have, toss aside what’s not worth focusing on, and treasure the days we have to share.”

At the family’s request there will be no service at this time. Croswell Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Shelley Montanaro. Memorial contributions may be made in Shelley’s memory to Tunica Humane Society (Tunica, MS), New House WildLife Rescue (Chelmsford, MA) and MSPCA at Nevins Farm (Methuen, MA).

Bruce A. Peoples – 75, of Tiverton, RI and formerly of North Reading, died on Monday, January 5, 2026,

Born in Boston, MA on August 22, 1950. He was the son of the late Paul E. and Shirley M. (Chaplin) Peoples. Bruce was raised and attended school in North Reading and was a graduate of North Reading High School, Class of 1969.

Bruce worked for many years as an employment recruiter for USA Recovery, Peoples Technical Resources, CDI and for Sullivan and Cogliano.

Bruce loved hockey, football, gardening and cooking.

Family members include his loving son, Eric Peoples and his wife Elizabeth; his brothers, Paul G. Peoples and his wife Susan and David K. Peoples and his wife Annette; 2 grandchildren, Luke and Mason and Bruce’s partner Paul Chouinard.

Calling hours will be held at the Croswell Funeral Home, 19 Bow Street, North Reading on Sunday, January 11 from 4 to 7 PM. A graveside service will be held in Riverside Cemetery, 171 Elm Street, North Reading on Monday, January 12, at 11 AM.

www.croswellfuneralhome.com