SWAMPSCOTT — After a career spent helping older adults remain connected, independent, and supported in their communities, Heidi Whear is being recognized for her own contributions. 

Whear, who is retiring from her position as the Swampscott Director of Aging Services, received a Commonwealth Heroine Award from the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women at the State House on Wednesday. Whear was co-nominated by both State Representative Jenny Armini and State Senator Brendan Crighton. 

The annual award honors women whose work often takes place behind the scenes but leaves a lasting impact on their communities. 

“The Commonwealth Heroine Award focuses attention on those women who work tirelessly,” Armini said. “They think of others before themselves — helping, planning, troubleshooting, and most importantly doing the work so we all live in richer, healthier, more vibrant communities.” 

For Armini, nominating Whear — who she calls a “Swampscott treasure” — was an easy choice. 

“Heidi’s work has made Swampscott and the North Shore a stronger, more supportive place to grow older,” Armini said. “Through her leadership at the Swampscott Senior Center and Seaglass Village, she has helped older adults stay connected, independent, and supported in their communities. Her compassion and commitment have made a real difference for residents and their families, and Senator Crighton and I were proud to nominate her for this recognition.” 

For Whear, the recognition was both unexpected and heartwarming. 

“I was blown away completely, just totally humbled,” she said. “I could never have imagined.” 

Whear had been nominated for the award before her retirement from the Senior Center, where she has spent the last six years advocating for Swampscott’s aging population, planning activities, and fostering community. Her retirement followed a long career dedicated largely to service across the North Shore. 

Whear has also previously worked managing a dementia-care floor, directing an adult day health program in Lynn, and worked with the Caleb Group, an affordable-housing organization serving communities throughout New England. 

“I’ve worked in senior housing and senior services my whole life,” Whear said. “I’m very much keyed into our aging population and their needs.” 

Friends, colleagues, and community members recently gathered for a retirement party at the Senior Center to celebrate Whear’s retirement and the relationships she built during her years of service. Among the tributes was a tree planted outside the senior center in her honor, “which is really, totally Heidi,” she said. 

For Whear, the award also carries an unexpected personal connection — it seems that heroism runs in the family. 

After learning that she had been selected, Whear discovered that her mother, Joan Sawyer, a founder of the Caleb Group, had received the same honor years prior, when it was known as the “Unsung Heroine Award.” The discovery came after Sawyer’s death several weeks ago, when family members began looking into her history and accomplishments. 

“When one of my nieces was Googling her, she found that my mother got the same award,” Whear said. 

The coincidence added another layer of meaning to the recognition. 

“As I was being honored by all these wonderful people, I just was so sad that she wasn’t able to join us,” Whear said. 

Although she is retiring from the Senior Center, Whear is not stepping away from community involvement (it’s in her DNA). She will remain active with Seaglass Village, of which she is a founding member and will serve as the incoming president, while also taking some time to focus on herself after decades spent caring for others. 

For now, she plans to take a “gap year,” travel, get some exercise, and gear up for whatever comes next.