Amherst, Ernestine “Tini” Sawicki passed away Tuesday, August 12th, at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston after a 28 year battle with breast cancer.   Born in Amherst on North East Street, July 20, 1942 to Cleon  (Deceased) and Alice [Pratt] Booth, she graduated from Amherst – Pelham Regional High School in 1960.

Tini began her career as a secretary for Jones Neylon Insurance. She obtained her real estate license and began her career as a Realtor in 1974 with D.H. Jones Real Estate. She remained with D.H. Jones until 1988 when she decided to start her own business. During her tenure as a Realtor, she was President of the Hampshire Franklin Board of Realtors, Realtor of the Year in 1986 and again in 2000, received the Milton H Shaw Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Volunteer Leadership in the Massachusetts Association of Realtors and in 2006 received the Amherst Chamber of Commerce award for business. At the State level she served as the Massachusetts Association of Realtors Vice President. She has been recognized by Babson College and the Commonwealth Institute as being one of the Top 100 Women led Businesses in Massachusetts.

She loved giving her time to her local community and was actively involved in the Rotary Club,  Amherst Survival Center, Amherst Chamber of Commerce and the Caring for the Future campaign for Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Tini lived in Amherst all her adult life. She enjoyed traveling the world, staying active, and strived to inspire others. She ran several marathons including the Boston Marathon, Dublin Marathon, Marine Corps. Marathon, The Walt Disney World Half Marathon, and the New England Danskin Women’s Triathlon. In 2011 Tini participated in the Pan Mass Challenge with her son Scott together raising over $11,000 for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boson.

She is survived by her mother Alice (Pratt) Booth, her two sons and their spouses Richard Sawicki Jr. (Barbara) of Erving, Scott Sawicki (Denise) of Shutesbury. Four grandchildren, Kevin Sawicki of Amherst, Christian Sawicki of Erving, Sean Sawicki and Brittany Dawson of Shutesbury and Erin Sawicki of Shutesbury, one great-granddaughter Madison Sawicki of Shutesbury.

She is also survived by her two brothers and their spouses, Cleon “Buzzy” Booth (Dora) of Pelham and Ernest  “Ernie” Booth (Carol) of Northampton, and her beloved black lab, Libby. Tini is predeceased by her sister Bernice Stratton.

Calling hours are at Douglass Funeral Home in Amherst from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Thursday, August 21st, and a memorial service will be held at Wesley United Methodist Church, 98 North Maple Street, Hadley, MA at 11a.m. on Friday, August 22nd.  In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to The Amherst Survival Center, PO Box 9629, North Amherst, MA  01059, Cancer Connection, 41 Locust Street, Northampton, MA or a cancer charity of your choice.  Obituary and memorial register at www.douglassfuneral.com

Service details, Social networking, Memorial Guestbook and Slideshow are available here.