Obituary: ​Jean Marie (Fitz) Thompson, 91, of Madison

Information via Guilford Funeral Home

Jean Marie (Fitz) Thompson, Mother of nine, Grandmother of twenty one and Great Grandmother of two, passed away on Thursday, October 19, after a brief illness. Jean was born with her twin Joan on the Fitz family farm in Sandusky Ohio in 1926, 91 years ago today, October 26.

She was married to her beloved husband and father of all her children, James R Thompson Jr, on June 16, 1951, and is preceded in death by her husband, her parents James and Marie Fitz, and two of her five siblings, John Fitz and Margaret Briehl. She is survived by her brother Robert Fitz, her sister Frances Hipp, and her twin sister Joan Hughes, as well as her nine children: Kathleen Gargano (spouse Tom, children Michael and Carly), Michael (spouse Jan, children Haley and March), John (spouse Genevieve, children James, William, Claire and Anna),Ann Nash (spouse Ken, children Hilary and Kenneth), Daniel (spouse Astrid, children Valerie and Annelise), Theresa, who has lived with Jean all her life, Mary Kisaka (spouse Alan, children Sam, Jean, Mebra and Desmond) Gloria Lasley (spouse Dave, children Luke, Faith and James), andEileen Lorentz (spouse John, children Olivia and David).

Jean was a lifelong Catholic, and a dedicated member of Saint George parish in Guilford, where she served for many years as a Eucharistic Minister, and lost count of all the Baptismal Bibs she made for families over the years. Jean was well known by her family and friends for her selfless devotion to helping others, including many years of sponsoring families in India, through the Franciscan Family Apostolate, and by baking for homeless families through Columbus House in New Haven.

Jean received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Mary Manse College in Toledo Ohio in 1949. After her children were all in school or on their own, Jean held clerical jobs with Yale University in New Haven CT, and with the General Electric Company in Schaumburg IL, when the family moved there for Jim's job with the Gilbane Building Co, from 1982 until 1988. After Jim died in 1988, Jean moved to Madison CT, where she bought the property at which we have visited her and Theresa ever since.

Jean loved gardening, sewing, baking, cooking, and making jam from her raspberry patch, as Christmas gifts for her children and their families. We will all miss her annual tins filled with a large variety of home baked Christmas cookies.Friends are invited to calling hours on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 5 – 8 pm at the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church St, Guilford. Mass of Christian Burial celebrating her life will be held at St. George Church, 33 Whitfield St, Guilford on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 10 am. Burial will follow in All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Ave, North Haven.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Franciscan Family Apostolate, 93 Country Way, Madison, CT 06443.