Published July 3, 2020
MELROSE — Leone Brownell Fagan, 100, of Melrose, formerly of Newport, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully at the Arnold House in Stoneham on Sunday, June 21, 2020.
Leone (Lee) was born in Newport, R.I. on December 22, 1919, one of two children of the late Charles T. Brownell and Amey Leone (Arnold) Brownell. She was raised in Newport where she graduated from Newport Rogers High School, and Pembroke College, now a part of Brown University, Class of 1940. After meeting on a blind date, she was married in Newport to Winthrop T. Fagan on June 17, 1942. They eventually settled in Melrose in 1947 to raise a family of four children.
While raising her family, Lee also enjoyed working for over 10 years at the Melrose Public Library in both the Archive and Catalog Departments. During her time at the library, she built many dear friendships with fellow co-workers that endured long after her retirement. Lee was a member of Community Associates of Melrose, the American Association of University Women, and was active with the Melrose Historical Society. She was currently the longest and oldest member of the Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church, an accolade she recently received which brought her a smile.
After settling in Melrose in 1947, Lee resided in the same home where she raised her children for 70 plus years. Lee was a self-reliant woman who took great joy in tending to her backyard gardens. Over the years spending time with her family watching the Red Sox, she ultimately became a devoted fan.
Family oriented, Lee had a passion for genealogy and held close her lifelong connection to the City of Newport. She loved returning to her hometown for yearly summer vacations when her children were young. She also generously donated historical items to the Newport Historical Society. Modest and understated, Lee passed along traditional family values and proper manners to her children. As someone who took pride in continually learning new things, she utilized technology, staying in touch with her extended family and researching her favorite subjects.
With her family, Lee loved taking drives along the water whether it was around Lake Quannapowitt, or along Ocean Drive in Newport, especially if the trip included a stop for her favorite ice cream, Mocha Almond.
Lee will be remembered for her independence, love for a good joke, and her strong pride in family. She will be deeply missed, but her memory will inspire her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Lee was the beloved wife of the late Winthrop T. Fagan with whom she shared 60 years of marriage. Devoted mother of Winthrop T. “Pete” Fagan, Jr. of Makakilo, Hawaii, Jean Lovering Bell and her husband Robert of Melrose, Robert C. Fagan and his wife Linda of Epping, N.H., and Kenneth A. Fagan and his wife Susan of Marblehead. Dear sister of the late Charles Arnold and his late wife Sally. Loving aunt of Sally Brownell Nagel and her husband Fred of Ariz. Cherished grandmother of Rebecca Leone (Bell) Miller, Nathan Taylor Bell, Cameron Taylor Fagan, Virginia Brownell Fagan, Emily Marie Rookwood, and Troy B. Williams. Loving great-grandmother of Abigail Heather Miller, Fiona Leone Miller, Sadie Anne Bell, and Lucy Leone Bell.
Due to COVID-19, services to honor Lee’s life will be private. Interment in Wyoming Cemetery, Melrose. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Melrose Public Library, 69 W. Emerson St., Melrose, MA 02176. To send a message of condolence to the family, please visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.
