Joy Brownell Dawson
Caregiving nurse whose life was defined by her family and patients
Joy Brownell Dawson passed away at her home in Rochester, Massachusetts on the morning of June 15th. She was 68 years old.
Joy was born in Cambridge on May 7, 1957 to Norma and Herbert Silver and raised in Winthrop. She is survived by her husband, Paul Dawson; daughter, Liz Brownell and her partner, Michael McNally; son, Matt Brownell and his wife, Carly Conelli; daughter, Allie Merfeld and her husband, John Merfeld; grandson, Lucas Tebeau; brother Barry Silver and his wife, Barbara Silver and sister Carol Rosenthal and her husband, Nate Rosenthal.
Joy lived her entire life in Massachusetts and enjoyed a long career in nursing, primarily serving patients at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. She married Gene Brownell, a Navy veteran and fellow graduate of Winthrop High School, in 1980, and subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Elizabeth, and son, Matthew. After Gene passed away of cancer in 1988, she navigated her children through their grief and raised them as a single mother while continuing to work as a nurse. She channeled her own grief into compassion by taking her nursing talents to the bone marrow transplant unit at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, where she cared for patients in their own battles against cancer.
Joy remarried in 1993 to Paul Dawson, a dedicated public servant in their hometown of Winthrop; her third child, Allie, was born in 1995.
Joy was diagnosed with a rare neurological disease in 2008, but despite receiving a prognosis of less than seven years, she lived another 17. During this time, she witnessed her children’s marriages and became “Mimi” to her grandson, Lucas. Her husband, Paul cared for her through the course of her illness, ensuring that she was comfortable at home; friends and family alike were inspired by their love for one another even through the difficult end stages of her illness. Her famous sense of humor never dulled, and she continued to make us laugh up until the very end.
When the end came, she was at home, at peace, and surrounded by her loving family. She donated her brain to scientific research in the hope that it might contribute to a cure for the disease that took her—one last act of caregiving from a woman whose life was defined by her family and patients.
A funeral and celebration of Joy’s life will take place at the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home at 147 Winthrop St., Winthrop, on Friday, June 20. Family and friends may visit with the family starting at 10 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 12 p.m.; services will conclude with interment in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery. Following interment, a reception and luncheon will take place at the Winthrop Elks.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joy’s memory may be made to CurePSP (psp.org), a nonprofit that funds scientific research into rare neurological diseases.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.
Charles William Randall
January 24,1944 – June 13, 2025
Charles William Randall (Charlie), passed away peacefully at age 81 on June 13, 2025. He was preceded in death by his parents, Anna and Albert Randall, his brother Albert Randall, and his wife of almost 50 years, Patricia (Kiley) Randall of Winthrop.
Charlie was born January 24, 1944 and raised in Dorchester. He was a Winthrop resident for all of his adult life. He was the beloved father of Michelle Randall, Julie Chachus and Jennifer Randall Crosby, all of whom he cheered on through numerous plays, color guard competitions and dance recitals and patiently tutored through their math classes. Charlie was the devoted grandfather of Joshua Crosby, Jacob Crosby, Connor Burrows, Meagan Burrows, Zachary Chachus, and Benjamin Chachus, who appreciated his kindness, jokes and unconditional support.
Charlie enlisted in the U.S. Army and later served in the Army Reserve. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and his MBA from Suffolk University, all while working full time and being a dedicated family man who never missed 5:30 dinner. He worked in accounting for Gillette and the Environmental Protection Agency, and taught accounting at North Shore Community College.
Charlie had an active retirement, serving on the boards of several nonprofits (SHINE, Mystic Valley Elder Services, CAPIC), providing Medicare counseling, and volunteering with the Special Olympics. Charlie was a longtime member of the St. John the Evangelist Church.
Known for his dry wit and analytic mind, Charlie was a dear friend to many, a generous and loving father and grandfather, an esteemed member of the Winthrop community, and the devoted partner of Michele Vegelante of Winthrop, who brought him much joy in the last six years of his life.
The funeral was conducted from the Caggiano-O’Maley-Frazier Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 followed by a funeral mass in St. John the Evangelist Church. Services concluded with the interment in the Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that Charlie’s memory be honored with donations to one of the local nonprofits to which he dedicated his time and energy. CAPIC https://capicinc.org/ or Mystic Valley Elder Services at https://www.mves.org/donate-now/.
To sign the online guestbook, go to www.caggianofuneralhome.com.