July 15, 1935 - October 25, 2025
Born on July 15, 1935, in Framingham, Massachusetts, Jean was the daughter of the late Mary (Casey) Tero and Nalbert Tero, a skilled carpenter. She grew up in a close-knit family and carried that same sense of devotion and warmth into her own life.
On April 17, 1955, Jean married her sweetheart, Edward, and together they built a beautiful life in Holliston. Known lovingly as Nana, Jean dedicated her life to raising her two children and later took great joy in caring for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her home was always a place of love, laughter, and family gatherings.
Jean was predeceased by her siblings Patricia Hurd, Nalbert Tero, and Mary Fuller. She is survived by her children Edward Sullivan III and his wife, Margaret, of Franklin, and Jean Varriale and her husband, Thomas, of Dedham; her grandchildren Rachel Pallotta and her husband, Joseph, of Reading, Abigail Sullivan of North Andover, Edward Sullivan IV of Walpole, and Anna Varriale of New York City; and her great-grandchildren Margaret and Liliana Pallotta of Reading. She also leaves her sister Cathy Mandino and her husband, Sylvio, of Holliston, her brother Michael Tero and his wife, Carla, of Eliot, Maine, her sister Ann Andre of Milford, and many nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly.
Jean loved reading, cooking, and hosting family gatherings filled with lively conversation. Fiercely protective and endlessly loving, she was the heart of her family—a “momma bear” whose strength and devotion defined generations. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her love and lessons will live forever in the hearts of those she cherished.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, October 30th, at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Mary’s Church of Holliston, with burial to follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Holliston.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jean’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.
Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston.
