Paula C. Grillo

Paula Catherine Grillo, 75, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, passed away on Thursday, October 23, after being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital for the better part of a year for complications related to tongue cancer.
She was born on December 16, 1949, to former Mayor of Gloucester Hon. Joseph J. Grillo and Madeline Letitia (Selig) Grillo, both of whom taught English at Gloucester High School for over 25 years. Mayor Grillo was the first Italian American mayor of Gloucester, serving in the 1950s.
By the time Paula was four years old, she was already befriending celebrities, as captured in a photograph of her sitting on poet Robert Frost's lap, seemingly mesmerized by his eyebrows. Mr. Frost visited Gloucester in 1953, when he was given the Key to the City by then-Mayor Grillo who invited the poet to do a reading at the first ever Cape Ann Festival of the Arts, instituted by Mayor Grillo.
Paula attended Gloucester public schools, graduating in 1967 from Gloucester High School, where she was Editor of the Beacon poetry magazine and a member of the Thespian Society. She earned her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1971 from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, majoring in English. Her Senior year Honors thesis was on her favorite poet, Emily Dickinson.
She went on to Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts, to receive her Master of Library Science (MLS) in 1976. Over the years, she worked at several library systems including Governor Dummer Academy (now The Governor's Academy) in Byfield, Massachusetts, Montserrat College of Art in Beverly Massachusetts, Bradford College in Haverhill, Massachusetts and The Ipswich Public Library in Ipswich, Massachusetts. She was the Young Adult/Reference Librarian at Ipswich Public Library from 2001-2015, when she retired. It was there that she honed her passion for genealogical research, making quite a name for herself through her detailed explorations of family trees for people who came to the library seeking assistance.
Throughout her life she loved to travel, a passion she inherited from her parents. Her first trip was to Greece, her senior year in high school, which she and a close high school friend paid for by packing fish for two summers at Gorton's of Gloucester. While a self-professed Anglophile, she traveled extensively throughout Europe and Canada, with her favorite spots being England, Germany and Nova Scotia. She held a special place in her heart for Maine, particularly the Schoodic Peninsula and the Bath/New Brunswick area. True to any librarian, she read voraciously, ranging from the British and American classics to Irish Village crime novels, and even succumbed to electronic reading platforms for a more efficient travel experience. Her partner of 15 years, Don Cassidy (passed in 2015), also of Ipswich, taught her his love for competitive bicycling, although hers was enjoyed from the comfort of her living room. For many years she marveled at the scenic landscapes of the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España, watching every day of the three-week journeys. She was a long-time English Premier League fan and faithfully supported her Tottenham Hotspurs. She will be missed by all who knew her for her sweet disposition, graciousness and kindness. Like her mother, she was always a lady.
She is survived by her devoted younger sister, Carla Lee Grillo of Gloucester, Massachusetts, several cousins and many lifelong friends from across the country, Nova Scotia and Europe.
Her funeral mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 12 noon. A closed casket visitation will be held prior to the mass from 11a.m. to 12noon, at the church. A private burial will be held at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Paula's memory to Friends of Ipswich Public Library, 25 North Main Street, Ipswich, MA 01938.
Arrangements by Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA.
For online condolences please visit www.greelyfuneralhome.com