A Massachusetts native, Willett spent more than 20 years as a secretary and even worked briefly as a cocktail waitress, her granddaughter said. Her home was always a base for everyone in her family, Mallowes said.

The owner of an assisted-living facility in Fall River where nine died in a fire also owns an adult foster care business in Worcester.

Following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living home in Fall River, a state lawmaker is pushing for hearings to examine the incident and the regulatory requirements for assisted living centers in Massachusetts.

Gabriel House residents described a chaotic scene Sunday night before they were rescued from the blaze that left nine dead and dozens more injured.