Obituary of Sylvia E. McEwen

Sylvia E. (Brienza) McEwen, age 41, passed away with her family at her side at Lahey Hospital on March 13, 2025 following a courageous battle with colon cancer.

Born in Melrose, MA on March 18, 1983 – she was the youngest of 3 children to Celia (Canas) Brienza and Paolo Brienza. Her parents came here from Argentina and Italy, respectively, to raise a family and give their children the best life they could. She lived almost her whole life in Malden, Ma and attended Pope John XXIII High School. She went on to proudly earn an Associate Degree in Nursing from Laboure College. She then went on to become an RN at Lahey Hospital in the ED and TRAC. She truly loved helping her patients and making a difference in the lives of others.  

Sylvia met Patrick on a charity boat cruise, and couple of short years later, they were married. They settled in Nashua, NH and started their family. There was nothing more important to her than family, and she has always remained super close to her siblings and friends. But the true lights of her life were her 2 boys – Graeson and Kellan. Often times, Sylvia could be found on the sidelines of a soccer or baseball game – cheering her boys on or gladly shuffling them around town to all their games and practices or just spending time with them at home. They always gave her such joy. She often hosted family events and always made it her mission to spend as much time with her family as she could. She would often plan family trips to Disney, going to a sporting event or just a large family barbeque at home. And a trip to the casino was never far away, she always loved playing her Spanish 21 Blackjack anytime she could! She was a true force of nature. With her family by her side, she felt like she could conquer anything, they were the center of her world. Sylvia showed her family and friends how much she cared for them any way she could. She brought people together in both good and bad times. She was fiercely protective of her family and supported everyone even in the hardest of times. To her core, she was a compassionate and loving wife, mother, friend, sister, aunt and colleague. Her strong will, fiery personality, uplifting sense of humor was something everyone loved about her. She was a great “pet mom” to her pups Daisy and Ella and kitty Mickey.  

Sylvia had a special relationship with her niece Lara and nephew Aragorn. Sylvia and Lara shared a love of shopping (they loved makeup and Bath and Body works!) and Aragorn was her “mon-karoo” her favorite nickname for him. She has a deep, connective bond with them that helped her become such a great mother to her own children. Her ability to love the people around her is truly unmatched and her spirit will always live in our hearts.  

Sylvia is survived by her husband of 11 years, Patrick McEwen, her 2 beloved sons – Graeson McEwen and Kellan McEwen, all of Nashua, NH, her parents Celia (Canas) Brienza and the late Paolo Brienza, siblings Roxanne Brienza Murden and Horacio Brienza, all of Malden, MA. She is also survived by many relatives, dear friends and cherished coworkers.  

Relatives and friends are invited to attend visitation on Wednesday, March 19th from 3PM until 7PM at the Edward Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn Street, Burlington, MA. The funeral service will be held in the Funeral home at 7PM. 

As an expression of sympathy, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Sylvia’s honor to Sylvia Brienza McEwen Memorial Fund.  Our mission is to make sure Sylvia’s story continues to be heard.