Sweet, Elliott Boyd
Elliott B. Sweet, 101, died Tuesday, February 28, 2023, in his home at Somerby of Mt. Pleasant. Born in Hartford, Ct. he was the son of John Henry Throope Sweet, Jr. M.D. and Henrietta (Elliott) Sweet. He spent his childhood in West Hartford, Ct. and graduated from Loomis High School in Windsor, Ct. He attended Dartmouth in 1939 and after two and half years, enlisted for service in WWII.
Sweet joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and as the lead navigator for the 465th bomb group, 781st squadron, flew 40 missions over southern Europe. His plane was shot down on a mission to Germany in February 1945. Sweet was able to navigate the disabled plane to Switzerland and the entire crew successfully parachuted and became P.O.W.'s in Adelboden. He earned First Lieutenant rank and received the Distinguished Flying Cross during his service in WWII.
After returning to the U.S., Sweet met the love of his life, Army nurse Mary Frances Smith, while finishing his service in Texas. They were married on March 2, 1947, in Charleston, West Virginia. He finished his college degree and began medical school at Dartmouth College. He finished medical school at University of Virginia and completed his specialty in orthopedic surgery at Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital. Sweet began his private practice in 1956 in Hartford Ct. He then became the 10th generation of "Bonesetter Sweets" in New England, whose history dates back to the arrival of John Sweet to Salem, in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1632
In the 1970s, Dr. Sweet founded Orthopedic Associates with his partners, a large surgery group which served all of Southern New England and continues to this day. Dr. Sweet retired from surgery at 68 years. Sweet continued working for an additional 10 years at Kaiser Permanente in Connecticut. He and Mary Frances remained residents in West Hartford and active in the community.
After Mary Frances died in 2007, Dr. Sweet moved to Somerby of Mt Pleasant, SC, to be closer to his daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He has made many friends in his community while at Somerby over the years, 2009-2023. The family would like to thank all of the staff at Somerby Independent Living and the caregivers from Interim Health Care for their kind and compassionate service over the years.
Dr. Sweet is predeceased by his wife, Mary Frances and their daughter, Beverly, and his three sisters, Deborah, Barbara and Phyllis. He is survived by his daughter Ann (Sweet) Fink and Dr. Gary Fink of Mt Pleasant, SC, and their daughter, Jessica Fink of Asheville, NC, and son, David Fink of Mt Pleasant, SC.
Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors at some point to be determined. Memorial contributions may be made to Rolf C. Syvertsen Memorial Fund at The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Medical & Healthcare Advancement, Attn: Gift Recording, One Medical Center Drive (HB 7070) Lebanon, NH, dhmcalumdev.hitchcock.org/syvertsenmemorial-fund This fund honors outstanding fourth year students.