Published April 16, 2021
WAKEFIELD — Holly Jean DeSimone, age 36, of Wakefield, formerly of Melrose, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on April 7, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Born in Malden on October 20, 1984, she was the daughter of Diane (Dalessio) DeSimone of Wakefield and Joseph DeSimone and his wife Mary Lou of Woburn.
Holly was raised in Melrose and was a graduate of Melrose High School, Class of 2003. She then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from UMass Lowell and then a second bachelors, this time in nursing, from Northeastern University. She had worked as a registered nurse at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, 6 West and most recently had worked at Massachusetts General Hospital. Holly loved to spend time with her family, especially summer months spent in Wells, M.E. and Lake Winnipesaukee in N.H. She loved entertaining, hosting family and friends at her home, and cooking for loved ones… most especially her meatballs. Holly and her husband enjoyed a much-loved trip to Northern California, taking a car along the west coast to stops including, San Francisco, Sanoma, and Yosemite, to name a few.
In addition to her parents, Holly is survived by her beloved husband, Derek Pollard, whom she married in 2019; her cherished daughter, Charlotte “Charlie” Pollard, age 2; her sisters Pamela Reynolds and her husband Sean of Marshfield and Jennifer DeSimone and her partner Jason Esposito of F.L.; her brother, Joseph DeSimone and his wife Nicole of Wakefield; her nieces Brooklyn and Shaelynn; and her mother-in-law Elayna Evans and her partner William McNulty of Woburn. She is also survived by many loving extended family members and countless dear friends.
Her funeral mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph Church, 173 Albion St., Wakefield on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Visitation for relatives and friends at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. Interment at Lakeside Cemetery, Wakefield.
COVID-19 guidelines will be followed. Guests should arrive wearing a mask and are kindly asked to exit the building after having the opportunity to pay their respects to the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the GoFundMe account which has been set up for Holly’s family: https://gofund.me/46d6983b
