Catherine Baron

Waterford — Catherine Julia Baron, 96, formerly of Shore Road, Waterford, died Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, at the New London Rehabilitation and Care Center after a long illness.

Known variously as Catherine, Kay and Kiki, she was born Aug. 8, 1921 in New York City to Anna Maria and John Loffredo. She was married to Leonard Baron of Mystic in 1974, and he predeceased her. Her first husband, Frederick Primo Montesi, with whom she raised three children, died Oct. 2, 1965, 52 years earlier to the day.

She leaves a daughter, Clara Ann Montesi and her husband, Lance Johnson, of Waterford; a sister, Carmella Capozza and her husband, Rocco, also of Waterford; and a brother, Richard Loffredo and his wife, Dorothy, of Suffern, N.Y. Two children, Michael Primo Montesi and Diane Catherine Montesi, predeceased her, as well as two brothers, Michael Loffredo and Leonard Loffredo. She leaves two grandsons, Eric Lamb and his partner, Coral Fish, of Lebanon, and Marco Brenciaglia of Waterford; three stepgrandchildren, Jennifer Johnson of Norwalk, Jessica Tavenner of Milford and Matthew Johnson of Falmouth, Mass.; two great-stepgrandchildren, Max Crawley-Johnson of Falmouth and Henry Tavenner of Milford; and many nieces and nephews.

There is a joke within the family that whenever Catherine went food shopping, she left with groceries and a new friend. Her smile was infectious, her laughter gleeful and her compassion limitless. She had suffered many disappointments throughout her life, yet always grieved and then rose above them even stronger, with the help of her indomitable spirit. She considered life a gift that was to be celebrated and she did so with every ounce within her five-foot frame.

After leaving high school during the Great Depression, she worked first as a seamstress and then, in cafeterias, for Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London and the Town of Waterford school system. She was an avid gardener and spent as much time outside as possible.

But her joy and passion in life were friends and her family, of which it could be argued that she was a reluctant and gentle matriarch. She adored grandsons Eric and Marco and fed them well, a display of her love. Within the extended family, and well into her 90s, she stayed informed of the latest in everyone’s life without being in the least way intrusive. She was a sought-after counselor by many of her nieces and nephews, and others, and never sat in judgment. Her remedy often included a give-and-take discussion, a hug and a healthy portion of eggplant parmesan or lasagna.

Calling hours are 5 to 7 p.m. today, at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave., New London, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday, at St. Paul Church, 170 Rope Ferry Road, Waterford.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org, or for dementia research.