Mary F. Breckbill

Mary was born in Stafford on May 14, 1926. She was the third of six children born to Agnes (Manion) and Francis Fitzpatrick.

Together with her siblings, Frank, Ellen, Betty, Kathryn and Lorraine, she lived in Stafford, Stafford Springs, Simsbury, Norfolk, East Hartford, and Burlington, Conn., as well as Northampton, Mass.

As a teenager, Mary and her family settled in Bristol, where she graduated from Bristol High School and started work at the Barnes Group. There she would meet her husband, Edmond Breckbill. They married on Feb. 7, 1948, and moved to Essex to start their family. In 1954, they moved to Chester, where Mary would become a fixture in town and at St. Joseph’s Church.

A daily communicant for more than half her life, Mary was a Eucharistic Minister and brought communion to people in their homes and in convalescent homes for decades.

She was instrumental in establishing a Christmas Star gift program at the church, providing gifts for neighbors in need in the community. She also was a founding member of the Crown of Glory Charismatic Prayer Group that met for 20 years at the church Parish Center. She taught religious education for many years and was a founding member of the Mother’s Circle.

Mary worked at Chester Elementary School, Robbie’s, Brian House, and provided in-home care for her neighbor Ruth Wooster. She and her husband founded Friends In Service Here (FISH) in the Lower Valley area. She was honored as a Woman of Year by the Lower Valley Woman’s Club in 1975. She also volunteered at My Father’s House Retreat Center in Moodus for many years.

She loved Chester was frequently seen walking around Jennings Pond or spending time on the porch of the house that she lived in for over half a century. Mary was known for her homemade bread, cookies, cream puffs, gingerbread, sour cream cookies, apple pie, and blueberry muffins, which she shared with family and friends. A strong woman, Mary had a feisty spirit and she was a big fan of “Maple Nut” ice cream!

For the last 10 months, she was blessed to remain in the comfort of her home with the help of her daughter, Nancy, and enjoyed countless visits and calls with her family, neighbors, and friends.

Mary’s proudest legacy was her family. She is survived by her six children: Susan Byrnes (Bill Alexson) of Burlington, Steven (Kathy) Breckbill of Takoma Park, Md., Linda (Seb) Russo of Terryville, Nancy Hinchey of Chester, Ann Gittleman of Glastonbury, and Karen (Jeff) Cohen of Hebron. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, her sister Kathryn Fitzpatrick of Deep River, and her nieces and nephews and their families.

Along with her parents, Mary was predeceased by her husband, Edmond; her brother Frank and his wife Betty Fitzpatrick; her sister Ellen and her husband Charlie Talmadge; her sister Betty and her husband Bill Collins; her sister Lorraine Thompson; her niece Barbara Talmadge Sieber; her nephew Fran Collins; and her sister-in-law Madeleine “Dainey” and her husband Joe Driscoll.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 15, 2024 from 4:00PM to 6:00PM at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, February 16, 2024 at 11:00AM at Saint Joseph Church, 48 Middlesex Avenue in Chester. Burial will follow in Saint Joseph’s Cemetery.

The family extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Louise Maloney who treated Mary with exceeding kindness and respect for more than 30 years, the Lower Valley VNA (especially Alianna, Danielle, and Mary Beth), as well as the Chester Hose Company who made it possible for Mary to remain in her home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chester Hose Company, Visiting Nurses of the Lower Valley, or St. Joseph’s Church.