February 27, 2025
Violet Nystrom Villani of Hingham, MA passed away peacefully at home on Friday February 21, 2025 at the age of 100. She had a long and fulfilling life that revolved around her love of music, her faith and family.
Violet was born on July 15, 1924, in Quincy, MA, the daughter of August Nystrom and Elin Rinne who immigrated from Helsinki Finland shortly before Violet was born. The family moved from Quincy to (the Finnville section of) Hingham when Violet was a young girl. In the Nystrom home the family spoke Finnish (mamma), Swedish (papa) & English (all three). Songs were sung in all three languages. Starting at the age of four Violet began her musical career by singing with her father (Gus) at various Scandinavian (Finnish & Swedish) affairs.
Violet graduated from Hingham High School where she was proud to score first in her class in mathematics. During World War II Violet was an Air Raid Warden and a USO hostess where she met the love of her life, Samuel Anthony Villani. Vi and Sam were married on June 12, 1943 in a chapel at Fort Devens shortly before Sam shipped off to England in preparation for the D-Day invasion.
While Sam served in the US Army during World War II, Violet worked as a push button crane operator on the swing shift, building landing crafts (LSTs) in the Hingham Shipyard. It was during this time that Violet made a promise to God that she would sing to God for the rest of her life if Sam would come back safely from the war. A promise that she honored. After Sam’s return the couple bought land abutting her parents’ property on Gardner St, where Sam built the house in which they raised their four children.
Violet and Sam were founding members of the Resurrection Parrish at 1057 Main St. In keeping with her promise, Violet sang in and/or directed three different choirs every weekend for decades. Her love of music extended beyond church into community theater and choral groups where Violet participated in the Unicorn Singers, Broad Cove Choral, Hingham Civic Music Theater & others.
Violet is survived by son Stephen A. Villani and his wife Patricia of Hingham, daughter Patricia A. Cenedella and her husband Richard of Duxbury, daughter Sylvia E. Ferris of Kingston, son Samuel A. Villani, II and his wife Roberta of Scituate. Violet was blessed with seven grandchildren, the late Stephen A. Villani, Jr, Cheryl D. Kilduff and her husband Kevin of Duxbury, Tiffany A. Stonkus and her husband Mark of Hingham, the late Laura F. Cronin, Anthony G. Ferris and his wife Dana of Kingston, Samuel A. Villani, III and his partner Jonathan Gonzalez of Milwaukee, WI & Jackson B. Villani of Scituate. In addition, Violet was known as GG (great-grandmother) by her five great-grandchildren Kaleen Kilduff, Catilin Kilduff, Logan Stonkus, Ava Ferris & Christian Ferris.
A wake will be held at St. Paul’s church on Thursday February 27th from 9:30AM to 10:30AM, followed by a mass at 11:00AM. A private family burial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Violet’s name to the American Heart Association or Norwell Visting Nurses Association. For more information and online guestbook go to www.downingchapel.com
