Thelma D. Haddad

WEST BOYLSTON – Thelma D. (Hanson) Haddad, 74, of West Boylston, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Born in Worcester on November 17, 1942, Thelma was the daughter of Ralph A. and Sigrid M. (Bo) Hanson and lived most of her life in West Boylston.
Thelma was known to generations of Worcester County residents as the alterations lady. She was the talented seamstress who owned Alterations by Thelma for the past 29 years; a small one room shop that she operated out of the same Pinecroft area property where she grew up and spent most of her life; it was the same building that housed her parent’s general store, Hanson’s Market. Thelma single-handedly served three generations of clients doing prom and wedding gown alterations as well as garment mending and specialty alterations on innumerable items needing her special creative talents and attention.  Sewing was not the only gift she shared with those who came to her shop. She was deeply faithful and considered her interaction with people a chance to minister to the community. Seldom did anyone leave her shop without hearing the words, “God Bless You”, and many will recall her hitting her ‘That was easy’ button while on their way out. Dearest to her heart would be the lovely gowns that she made and donated to UMass Medical through their NICU bereavement services for babies that didn’t get to see this world.
Thelma was a vibrant, stubborn and scrappy woman who grew up in West Boylston and attended West Boylston High School.  She married Gordon D. Haddad in 1962. She was a homemaker during their twenty-year marriage; mother of their four daughters whom she loved without measure, and on whom she practiced her sewing skills, occasionally leaving in the pins by accident.  Aside from sewing she enjoyed cooking, visits to Hampton Beach and hunting down finds on eBay and at Savers.  She also cherished her dear friends and her fellow worshipers at the Calvary Worship Center in Holden where she attended services for the past 12 years. The only thing she loved more than Jesus, and coffee were her grandchildren.
She is survived and will be lovingly missed by her four daughters, Anita L. Loomis and her husband, Paul and Jane L. Haddad and her boyfriend, Timothy O’ Malley all of Webster, Robin K. Jubinville and her husband, Oleg Belokoz of Sudbury, and Cindy A. Haddad and her husband, Robert Roamer of Stow; a brother, Bruce Hanson of Melbourne, Florida; a sister, Christine Ring of Sterling; eight grandchildren, Cheryl, Sean, Peter, Nick, Anna, Zack, Mason with another on the way; 3 great grandchildren, Emma, Milo and Ashlynn; several nephews and nieces.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Thelma’s family from 3 to 5:30 pm on Monday, December 26, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden with a prayer service honoring her life at 6 pm. Interment will be held at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in West Boylston at a later date. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to the charity of your choice. To share a memory or offer a condolence, please visit our "Guest Book" here on our page.