Lena White Sawick, 96, of Mechanicsville, MD, died on August 27, 2012 at St. Mary's Nursing Center, Leonardtown, MD. Lena was born in Fall River, Massachusetts on June 23, 1916 to the late Aurora Lemay Charest and John Baptist Charest.

Lena's mother died during childbirth with her 9th child. Understanding the hardships that come with raising children, Lena sacrificed her own education to raise her siblings. She accepted and embraced the challenge with strength and courage, a choice she made out of love. She was exemplary in her role as a mother and her siblings affectionately acknowledged her as their own. Lena loved learning, and often spoke of her dreams of being educated, maximizing her potential in life. While schooling never came to fruition, she loved to cook and excelled at all types of needle arts.

Her first husband died prematurely in life. Lena met and married Bill Sawick. For the next 35 years, they lived life together in Port Charlotte, Florida. Lena and Bill both loved children. Together, they ran a table at a local flea market, selling all kinds of wind up toys and gadgets for children. When they would visit Lena's daughter Joan and her family, Bill would always bring his "bag of tricks" for the grandchildren, entertaining them joyously with all the magic tricks he knew. Failing health for both Lena and Bill brought them to St. Mary's county, to live with Joan and her family in Mechanicsville. Eventually, they needed additional health care, and both went into the St. Mary's Nursing Center, where Bill died in October 2010.

Lena was pre-deceased by her parents, and her husbands, Joseph White and Bill Sawick.

She is survived by her daughters, Joan Marchand of Mechanicsville, MD; Barbara Bigos (Frank) of Swansea, MA; Nancy DeSantis (Fred) of Washington, MA; and Dianne Di Nicola (Carl) of Pittsfield, MA; sisters, Pauline Oman of Merriville, IN; Georgette Doucette of Ansonia-Derby, CT; Margarete Fennelly (Charles) of Fall River, MA and brothers Bertram Charest (Anne) of Boston, MA; and Edward Charest (Elsie) of Port Charlotte, FL. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on September 6, 2012 in the San Antonio Church, 24445 Rampart Blvd., Port Charlotte, FL 44980, followed by interment in the church gardens. A Memorial Mass will be held at Our Lady by the Wayside, 37575 Chaptico Road, Chaptico, MD. 20621 at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory may be directed to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, 1140 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60607, or info@mercyhome.org.

Arrangements provided by Brinsfield Funeral Home.