Ursula Eva Dillon

Ursula Eva Ullrich Dillon, age 100, of Waltham, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2025.

Ursula was born in Boston, Massachusetts on July 18, 1925, to Julius Ullrich and Mary Eva Gillis. An only child, she grew up in Jamaica Plain and remained close throughout her life to her cousins Lexi, Harriett, and Betty.

After high school, Ursula attended Northeastern University, where she majored in Sociology. She was a cheerleader and notably the only woman enrolled in a football class - a story that was covered nationwide by the Associated Press. Ursula and her friends became the first class of women to graduate from Northeastern, forging lifelong friendships during her time there. While a student, she also worked at the Charlestown Navy Yard, making rope to support the World War II effort.

Ursula enjoyed a long and meaningful career as a social worker, serving in both psychiatric and medical hospitals, and she also spent several years as an elementary school teacher. Dedicated to civic service, she also worked at the polls in Waltham for many years.

She married William Dillon in 1951, and together they raised three children.

Ursula was a devoted Catholic whose faith sustained her throughout her life, with a special devotion to St. Anthony. She loved to travel, visiting beautiful locations such as France, Greece, California, and Hawaii, and she was known for her remarkable memory and her gift of telling rich, intertwined stories.

Above all, Ursula cherished her family. She was instrumental in helping to raise her eight grandchildren, who brought her immense joy.

She is survived by her three children, Sheila, Bill and his wife Patricia, and Karen and her husband Daniel; eight grandchildren, Megan, Matt, Catherine, Luke, Mark, John, Billy, and Hannah; and seven great-grandchildren, Hunter, Tyler, Olivia, Sarah, Rachel, Sam, and Charlotte. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband William and her parents, Julius and Mary.

A memorial Mass will be held at St. Luke's Parish in Belmont on Thursday, September 4 at 11AM for family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ursula's memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.