Bridget M Hartnett

Bridget Hartnett’s long vibrant life ended on March 3, 2024, a few days short of her 95th birthday. The fifth of twelve children of Guido and Lucy Cioffi, Bridget grew up in Wyandanch, Long Island and lived much of adult life in the house she helped build with her first husband, Bill Bauerle on Wolf Hill Road in South Huntington. Bill died in a tragic accident in 1954, when their son Billy was two weeks old. In 1961, Bridget married Jerry Hartnett and had three children, Laurie, Thomas, and Michael in rapid succession. While raising those children, Bridget worked in the Half Hollow Hills School District, most prominently as a reading aide in West Hollow Junior High. At West Hollow, she was known for offering learning support and baking thousands of Christmas cookies that she would distribute to the students.

After helping to guide their children toward successful careers, Bridget and Jerry retired down to Florida in 1987 and engaged in volunteer activities such as Meals on Wheels. In Cape Coral, Bridget was reunited with many of her brothers and sisters who had migrated to Southwest Florida. Before and after Bridget’s first child Bill died in 2004, Bridget became an indispensable presence for her grandchildren in Florida – Dustin, Matt, Tammy, and Lexi. She would also regularly see her New York grandchildren: Brittany, Samantha, Patrick, Danielle, Michael, Christina, and John. In addition, she is survived by her great-grandchildren: Aleniah, Vincent, Scott, and Kaylee.

In her retirement, Bridget enjoyed cruises, tours, and celebrations with family and friends. She was known for her lively and spicy conversations – she was a no-nonsense gal whose words often struck a chord with both family and friends. While she enjoyed gambling, her favorite activity was playing cards, including progressive rummy for hours on end. During her long life, she endured the passing of her brothers and sisters: Frankie, Millie, Suzie, Ralphie, Madeline, Guy, Louie, Nicky, Angie, Bobby, and Willie. In 2014, she lost Jerry, her companion in all parts of her life. She will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many supportive in-laws who entered the family, including sister-in-laws Claudia and Fran Cioffi.

Services for Bridget will be held Tuesday, March 12 from 4-8 at the Coral Ridge Funeral Home, and a funeral mass will take place on Wednesday, March 13 at 11 a.m. at Saint Katharine Drexel Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to be made to either:

Hope Hospice

https://hopehospice.org/donate/

or

Meals on Wheels

https://give.mealsonwheelsamerica.org/page/63915/donate/1