Justina Loretta Paprzyca of Newington, one of the Good Lord's most precious angels, was called home on Monday, May 20, 2013. The matriarch of the Paprzyca family was 94. She was born August 14, 1918 in the Frog Hollow section of Hartford, CT, where she married the love of her life, Charlie. They were born three days apart. They were married nearly 69 years before Charlie's passing 1½ years ago. Jess was the oldest life-long member of Holy Trinity Church in Hartford. She belonged to the Blessed Mother Sodality, Lithuanian-American Citizens Club, Women's Alliance and Newington Women's Club. She was a volunteer for more than 25 years at the Newington Veteran's Hospital. She worked her entire life at Mercer and Dunbar Armored Car Service in Hartford. She started working for George Dunbar Sr. in 1952, retiring in 2007 working for his grandson. Jess loved tag sales, had a voracious appetite for reading and loved doing Sudoku and jigsaw puzzles. You couldn't leave her house without putting a couple of pieces in the puzzle. She wasn't satisfied either unless you left her house with a full belly and bagful of various goodies. She was the essence of giving, never putting herself first. She will be dearly missed. She was predeceased by her parents, Anthony and Grace Urban (Smigelski), brother Tony, husband Charlie and daughter Grace. She leaves behind her devoted daughter, Carol Gilbert, of South Windsor, son Ronald and his wife Lisa of East Granby, son Charles and his wife Theresa of Hebron. She also leaves her grandchildren Christine, Shawn, Sarah, Justin, Jennifer, Kathryn and Wesley and five great grandchildren. Special thanks to Jess' ever-attentive and gracious neighbors, Vinnie and Barbara Salvador. Her family takes great comfort in knowing she was eager to be reunited with her beloved Charlie and their daughter Grace.
The funeral will be Friday, May 24, 2013, 9:15 a.m. from the Dillon-Baxter Funeral Home, 1276 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial 10 a.m. in Holy Trinity Church, 53 Capitol Ave, Hartford. Burial will be in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Calling hours will be Thursday, May 23, 4-7 p.m. at the funeral home. Contributions in Jess' memory may be made to Holy Trinity Church. To share a memory with the family, please visit www.dillonbaxter.com