Obituary: Ann Marie Morganroth Degnan, 94

The following obituary is from Shaughnessey Banks Funeral Home:

Ann Marie Morganroth Degnan passed away peacefully in her home at the age of 94 on April 19,
2023. She was born in Bridgeport on March 30, 1929 to Anne (Kennedy) and Edward James
Morganroth. She was raised in Lordship and graduated from Laurelton Hall. From there she went
on to graduate from the Fones School of Dental Hygiene where she completed an extra year. She
worked in dental hygiene from 1952 - 1970s, first in several dentists’ offices, before working for
the Stratford School System for 10 years as a school hygienist, educating children on proper
dental hygiene. In 1965, she left to teach at the Fones School, where she worked in the clinic and
supervised students in practice.

Ann retired in the 1970s to care for her aging parents, becoming her mother’s “social secretary”
for 18 years. She was a religious school teacher at St. Lawrence Church in Huntington, the town
where she resided for more than half a century.

In 1957, Ann married William Degnan, an engineer at Sikorsky & United Technologies, in Our
Lady of Peace Church in Lordship. They went on to have many fur children: 3 dogs and a
plethora of cats. Ann was an avid animal advocate and had a soft touch for any animal needing a
home. She loved to travel, mostly in Europe, both east and west, but also Russia, Panama, and
the Canadian Provinces twice (25 years apart). She noted that you could see global warming by
the receding glaciers at Lake Louise. They visited all of the United States except Oregon and,
always curious, they traveled with Williams College Alumni on trips which incorporated
learning with travel. She had a passion for reading and later enjoyed listening to books on tape.
She loved dining out with an occasional glass of pinot grigio, going to the theatre, and having
dinner parties with friends.

Ann’s biggest disappointment in life was losing her eyesight to macular degeneration, causing
her to be unable to drive, which she had always liked to do and do FAST. Patience was not a
virtue she adhered to. This happened decades ago, but she managed with the help of her friends
and neighbors to stay in her house and keep it up. When there was a big storm, she would go out
in the middle of the night to clear the downspout to avoid water in the basement, even though she
was 90 at the time. She also put her walker in the garbage pail to walk the trash out to the curb,
then used her walker to walk back. She did not like to be dependent on anyone. She also never
lost her love of ice cream. When she started walking miles in her house, (for safety due to poor
vision), she would stop in the kitchen for a spoonful on each lap.

On behalf of Ann, we would like to thank her caregivers, Nicole Doman Ellis and her colleagues,
Petrena, Keasha, Diane, Tammi and Nishellia. Without them, she could not have stayed home as
she wished.

Ann leaves behind her dear friend, Alice Mondi and family, especially Mark Jelinek, her jack-of-
all-trades contractor who helped her keep her house in tip top shape; her friend, Alice Petito who
cared for her hair, took her shopping and cared for her cat when Ann could not this last year; her
neighbors, Tracey and Jamie Barbetto who continued to help her even after they moved 40
minutes away; and “nieces” Sherri Steeneck, Amy Ambrosino and Rabbi Eliana Falk. A special
mention to the two joys of her day: Hannah Lee Ellis and Chipper. They were all invaluable to a
life well-lived.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, April 24, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Lawrence
Parish, 505 Shelton Ave. in Shelton. Burial will follow in Huntington Lawn Cemetery. Calling
hours have been omitted.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the CT Humane Society, www.cthumane.org or to
St. Lawrence Parish, www.stlawrenceshelton.org. To send an online condolence, please visit
www.shaughnesseybanks.com.