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Franklin Historical Museum
In Memoriam
Mary C. Olsson
Mary C (Morrissey) Olsson passed away Tuesday, November 12, 2023 peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her family. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband Kai Olsson of 29 years, daughter Sophie and sons Francis and Toby.
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She was raised in the family home in Franklin Ma where she attended St Mary’s Catholic School before leaving for college in Florida, and then spending time living in Atlanta Ga. She served many hospitality and coordination roles, most recently for the TJX corporation.
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Always a lover of history, she spent her free time tracing family trees and researching Franklin’s history for the Historical Commission and the Cemetery Commission. She organized the speaker series, events and displays for the Franklin Museum, spending years as the Chair of the Historic Commission.
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As the mother of 3 school age children at the time, she was a member of the Davis Thayer PCC, running school auctions to support the DT community. Seeing a need to be met, Mary founded “Harmony From The Heart,” an annual fundraiser which supported TTP research at Umass and Children’s Hospital. This research has resulted in life saving treatments.
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Mary was a consummate collector; PEZ dispensers, tea pots, salt shakers for every occasion (or just because they were cute), and possibly most importantly to her, friends.
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Making connections anywhere she went, Mary had friends in all parts of the world. Able to start a conversation with anyone, she made each person she met feel welcome. She would dive into their interests, connect them with others in her massive network with similar focuses. Beyond just connecting them, she loved to host her friends, porch parties, vacations, meals out, she delighted in playing the social conduit for us all.
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This obituary is written by her three children, and there is no better example for how someone should live than our mom. She is a shining example of kindness, drive, and humility. She set us up for success and cared more deeply than anyone about our success, health and happiness. We will always miss her and never stop loving her.
Paul M. Pisani
Paul M. Pisani, 77, passed away on August 16, 2025 after a brief illness.
A lifelong resident of Franklin, Paul was a 1966 graduate of Franklin High School and attended Benjamin Franklin Institute in Boston. He had a long career at Liquid Equipment and Controls, designing and repairing meters for scores of New England businesses such as Garelick Farms, Sealtest and Cains. If you lived in New England from the 1970s through the 1990s, your refrigerator held some of the products of Paul's work.
Paul was known for his strong friendships, sharp mind, wacky sense of humor, and delicious baked goods. He was an eclectic and voracious reader and music listener from childhood, fostering the love of both in his children. In retirement, Paul assisted friends and family with plumbing and electrical projects, bestowed them with cookies, and enjoyed new-found interests in auto restoration and computer gaming.
As an active member of the Franklin Historical Commission, he was focused on making historic photographs accessible to museum guests, and was constantly researching forgotten aspects of the town's past.
He will be remembered by his children, Heather Pisani-Kristl and Jeremy Pisani, by nieces Kim DiFonzo, Karla Buker, Kristen Pisani, and Kori Pisani, by many grand-nieces and nephews, and by dear friends from all facets of his life. He was predeceased by his brother Edward and his parents, Edmund and Josephine (Yurewicz) Pisani.