Gales Ferry Florence Sammataro
— Florence A. Sammataro, 82, of Gales Ferry, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024, at Fairview Nursing Home in Groton. Born in Troy, N.Y., Oct. 6, 1941, Florence was the daughter of Stanley and Florence (Cazasta) Glogowski. She graduated from Catholic Central High School in Troy.
She met Robert Sammataro while he was hanging a cupid for a Valentine’s Day dance at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. They married in 1962, and shortly thereafter moved to Gales Ferry, where they raised their four children. Florence devoted her time to being a mother and wife, and the family took many camping vacations across the United States.
Florence pursued a college degree when the last of her children were teenagers and earned her associate’s degree from Mohican Community College (now Three Rivers) and bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College. Florence was an avid gardener and talented seamstress. She could often be found working in her yard and sharing the bounty of her vegetable garden. She loved to sew for her family, making beautiful creations such as curtains for the home and clothing for her grandchildren and their dolls. She was a vibrant participant in her church, Our Lady of Lourdes in Gales Ferry, where she was a member for over 50 years. She could be found at daily Mass and was a member of the prayer group and several outreach groups over the years. She most recently was involved with Forty Days for Life, a particular passion of hers.
She leaves her sons, Stephen and his wife Ann Marie, of Madison, Jeffrey and his wife Theresa of Waterford, and Michael and his wife Dorsey of Atlanta, Ga.; and her daughter Kathleen McMahon and her husband Sean of Duxbury, Mass.; seven grandchildren; and her brothers, Stanley, Paul, and Peter Glogowski. She was predeceased by her husband Robert in 2001; and sister Marilyn Propst in 2016.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 11, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 1650 Route
12, Gales Ferry. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery, New London. Calling hours will be held o from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 10, at Byles-Groton Memorial Home, 310 Thames Street, Groton. A prayer service will be held at 4 p.m. Please visit www.byles. com for directions or to sign the guestbook. Please direct memorial gifts in Florence’s name to: Outreach to Haiti, Diocese of Norwich, 815 Boswell Avenue, Norwich, CT 06360 or American Life League, P.O. Box 6170, Falmouth, VA 22403.