Linda Grochowalski Obituary

Linda S. (Southard) Grochowalski, 73, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2025. She was born in Dudley, Massachusetts, on April 8, 1951, to the late Phyllis S. (Kozlowski) and Francis T. Southard.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 53 years, John W. Grochowalski. Together, they built a rich and remarkable life, spending more than a decade in Italy before settling in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Linda was the steady foundation of their family - an essential support system to John throughout his professional basketball career and beyond. Together, they raised a close-knit family defined by love and faith, a family that Linda both embodied and inspired.
Linda also leaves behind her three children - Jennifer Ann and her husband, Christian Dadagian; Johanna Leigh and her husband, Dana Thorpe; and Jason John and his wife, Ariela Grochowalski - and her beloved grandchildren: Sam and Ryder Dadagian, Ava and Mia Thorpe, and Kylie, Anna, and Jaxon Grochowalski.
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Assumption University, a Master's in Communication from Simmons University, and later a Master of Fine Arts from Pacific University. An avid reader and passionate writer, Linda shared her love of language and creative writing with generations of students as a respected professor at Quinsigamond Community College and Assumption University.
Linda's greatest joy came from her family. She loved cheering on her children and grandchildren as they competed in Division I, AAU, and town-league sports, nary missing a game, meet, or match. A talented cook inspired by her years in Italy, she nourished her family and friends with her gift, creating meals that brought them together in conversation and love. Her gentle-spirited nature, joy for the written and spoken word, generous heart, and devotion to building a home filled with warmth and laughter will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, Linda's family asks that donations be made in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association, (https://events.alz.org/fundraisers/johannathorpe)
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with Linda's family on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, from 5:00-8:00 PM at the Britton-Shrewsbury Funeral Home, 648 Main Street, Shrewsbury. Her funeral will be on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, with a funeral Mass celebrated at 10:00AM at Saint Mary's of the Hills Church, 630 Cross Street, Boylston, followed by burial in Mountain View Cemetery, Shrewsbury.