Armstrong, Brenda
Brenda, age 51 passed away on February 27th, 2023 surrounded by her family after living with cancer for over six years. She leaves behind her husband of twenty-five years, Josh and her two beloved sons, Jake and Ryan. She also leaves behind her parents, James Laverty (Kathy) of Palm Coast, Fl and Theresa Gagnon from Deep River, CT. She leaves her sister, Angela Sodergren (Cris), Stepbrothers Marc (Wendy) Vigeant & Michael (Heather) Vigeant along with her numerous and beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews. She is eternally grateful for all that they did for her during her illness along with the support network of friends that cheered her on for each day she was given.
Brenda grew up in Higganum, CT, attended Haddam Killingworth High School and went on to earn her undergraduate and master's degrees in Environmental Science. She enjoyed a thirty-year career at Yale University in the Environmental Health & Safety Office. It was at Yale where she met her best friend and future husband, Josh.
Josh and Brenda raised their family in Hamden, where they lived for twenty-three years before moving full time to their lake house on Lake Hayward in East Haddam, CT. It was there that Brenda enjoyed spending time with her family, kayaking, having BBQ'S, walking her loved boxers and just being back in the woods that she felt most at peace.
Since her early teens, Brenda was an avid runner and had planned on training for additional marathons before she became ill. She did not let cancer steal her joy and for the last 6 years, she and Josh went on many of her, “adventures” as she called them and traveled as much as possible. They hiked throughout New England, traveled to several National Parks, Spain, Canada and Turks & Caicos. On her many adventures she snorkeled with an octopus, swam with dolphins, hung out with a lively penguin, ziplined, parasailed and took the tourist route in many cities she'd never really explored before. Her family spent summer vacations at Higgins Beach in Maine and winter vacations in Florida where her Father and Stepmother live.
She enjoyed gardening, walking around the lake with Josh and laughing at her favorite comedians. Nothing gave her life more meaning and happiness as raising Jake and Ryan. She was so incredibly proud of the young men they had become, and she sat for hours talking to them about their future. Her Core Four, as she called them, helped her through each surgery, chemotherapy or round of radiation. They were her light and her love for them is eternal.
Brenda does not want us to grieve her passing as she believed we would all be together again in eternity where there is no more pain or suffering. Until then, she's just a thought away.
A wake service is scheduled for Sunday, March 5th from 2 to 4 pm at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver Street, Middletown, CT 06457.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to City of Hope National Medical Center, www.cityofhope.org. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com