BELMONT --- Faye Brown Sweeney, 80, of Belmont and Holiday, Fla., left this world peacefully Sunday, February 11, 2024, after a period of declining health.
A May Day baby, and every inch a Taurus, Faye was born in Norwood, Mass., the daughter of Ralph and Ann Leyden Brown. She moved to New Hampshire as a teenager and graduated from Belmont High School.
Faye capably handled a boat from the age of 12 and her heart always belonged on Hog Island where she spent her summers as a child and later was entrusted with the family cottage of five generations, an idyllic spot tucked away in the southern end of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.
Faye married Earl Sweeney in 1963 and not long thereafter he became the Belmont Police Chief. She joined him in serving the Town of Belmont as the de facto police dispatcher out of their home in the days before more formal technology and facilities existed. Faye continued to support her husband’s successful career in law enforcement which evolved and extend to the state and national levels. Faye contributed to organizing events and hosting fellow law enforcement members from across the globe, who came to study under her husband’s tutelage. Nary was there a Bike Week or Thanksgiving, back in the day, where Faye wasn’t hosting a houseful and feeding bellies of first responders with her skilled baking and cooking.
Faye was a devoted mother to her children and contributed significantly to their activities, volunteering with both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and the Belmont Theater Dept. A crafty person, Faye was adept at everything she tried, from sewing and painting to gardening and home improvements.
In later years, when her children were grown, Faye worked outside of her home. She enjoyed her time at both J. Jill in Tilton and the retail shop at Gunstock in Gilford before retiring, as well as providing child care to close family friends.
After some time traveling to most every state in the United States and abroad to Ireland, Earl and Faye bought a winter vacation home to enjoy in Holiday, Fla., and traveled to it as often as they could.
Surviving members of her family include her devoted husband of 61 years, Earl M. Sweeney of Belmont; her son, Michael E. Sweeney and his wife, Billie-Jo Sweeney, of Belmont; her daughter, Merry Sweeney Jeffreys and her husband, Bart Jeffreys, of Gilford; four grandchildren, Patrick M. Sweeney and his wife, Shantel Sweeney, of Franklin, Devon Elysse Sweeney of Belmont, Kelin H. Jeffreys, currently of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Hayley S. Jeffreys of Gilford. Faye is also survived by beloved nephews and many cousins scattered across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Faye was predeceased by her sister, Geraldine “Gerry” Brown; as well as her parents.
According to Faye’s wishes, a formal service will not be held and the family will celebrate her life privately.
Her family offers their heart-felt thank you to Visiting Angels, Lakes Region, and also to The Granite State VNA Hospice House in Concord for their compassionate care, ensuring that Faye’s final days were spent in peace and comfort.
In lieu of flowers, Faye’s family encourages you to please do something good for someone else, get outside and feel the sun on your face if you are able to, and support a children’s charity or a hospice center of your choosing.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to wilkinsonbeane.com.