Lydia Estelle (Swanson) Cass
May 21st, 2021
Lydia Estelle (Swanson) Cass, born in New York, NY, passed on to eternal life on May 21, 2021.
She was the wife of the late Thomas M. Cass. They had been married for 67 years.
Her parents, the late Fritz and Stella (Gustafson) Swanson, moved to Worcester where Lydia attended Worcester schools and spent her early life. In 1951 she married Thomas M. Cass and moved to Boston.
Business sent Mr. Cass around the country, so Lydia made a home for the family in Detroit, MI, Naperville, IL, Boston, Needham, Coral Gables, FL, and Short Hills, NJ. Prior to full retirement, the Casses moved to Dennis and then to Yarmouth Port, reuniting with decades long friends.
Always active in local churches, Lydia volunteered in church offices, served on several different committees over the years, and was a cook extraordinaire for church events, often chairing the event. The family always served as the taste testers of the dishes before public consumption and only rejected one recipe over the years. Eventually Lydia accepted a full time, paid position as church secretary at Community Congregational Church in Short Hills, NJ and served for 15 years.
Upon moving to Cape Cod, Lydia became part of the Highland Light Scottish Society and served in various leadership positions. Lydia was most often found to be the quiet leader in the background, helping to get tasks done. She was well organized and ready to help move projects forward with action and shied away from accolades.
Lydia is survived by her daughter, Maryjane Cass Burdge of Duluth, MN; a son, David M. Cass and his wife, Karen Saunders of Manchester, CT; and other relatives and friends. In addition to her husband and parents, Lydia was predeceased by her sisters, Edith Wheeler and Eleanor McDonald, her brother, Fred Swanson, and her son-in-law, John Burdge.
A memorial service, celebrating Lydia’s life, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday June 5 in the First Congregational Church of Yarmouth, 329 Main St., (Rte. 6A), Yarmouth Port, or live stream from the church website, www.fccyarmouth.com. A reception will follow.
As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the First Congregational Church of Yarmouth, 329 Main St., Yarmouth Port, MA 02675.