Obituary: Stephanie G. Brackett, 77, Of Stratford

STRATFORD, CT — (From Adzima Funeral Home): Stephanie G. Brackett, 77, of Stratford, CT, the widow of Richard Brackett, passed away on Friday, September 22, 2023 in Spring Village Assisted Living in Stratford.

Stephanie was born in Waukegan, IL on October 26, 1945 to the late Norman Paul and Ruth Barbara (Lindhout) Stromdahl of Webster Groves, MO. She was a graduate of Webster Groves High School in Webster Groves, MO, and Park College in Parkville, MO. She also received her Master’s and Sixth-Year Degrees from Southern CT State University in New Haven, CT.

Stephanie was a longtime area resident and was a retired secondary school foreign language teacher for the Bridgeport Board of Education. She taught at Harding High School for 36 years, including serving as the President of the Bridgeport Federation of Teachers as well as an assessor, and teacher of assessors, for the state of CT, and she won multiple awards for her teaching and leadership impact.

While at Harding, Stephanie served as an advisor to the National Honor Society, Flag Squad, Reading Club, and the Senior Class. She also dedicated a tremendous amount of her time and effort to the Connecticut Citizen Action Group, a leader in the fight for environmental justice, health care for all people, democracy and education equity.

Stephanie was a longtime member of the United Presbyterian Church of Milford serving as Clerk of Session, Elder, Deacon, Building and Grounds Committee Chair, Overseer of the Memorial Fund, and a member of the Choir. Both professionally and personally, she wrapped her warmth, quick wit, comfort and creativity (and sharp tongue at times) around all of us.

She was a warm, sometimes silly, and generous hostess of countless holiday celebrations, fish fries, and card clubs for family and friends, and her boundless creativity was apparent in her enjoyment of gardening, sewing, painting, refinishing furniture, decorating, and entertaining.

Stephanie delighted in outings with friends and family to restaurants, craft fairs, jewelry marts, movies, the Cabaret Theater, girls’ night out, book club, and so much more. She loved to read murder mysteries and the newspaper on her front porch while “watching the world go by” with her many windchimes tinkling in the breeze, and she took great joy in being a late riser! Stephanie was also free and forceful with her opinions, solicited or not; who could forget her many letters to the editor or her pillow playfully embroidered with, “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle?”

She was predeceased by her loving husband, Richard, to whom she was married for 40 years. Together, they entertained often and enjoyed boating and fishing on Long Island Sound, the Housatonic River, and Lake Lillinonah.

We are all blessed to have loved and been loved by Stephanie, and fiercely so. She was so many beautiful things to so many people: wife, companion, “Mom,” “Grammy,” sister, aunt, daughter “Steve,” counselor, confidante, and dearest of friends.

Stephanie is survived by her loving daughter, Kimberly Alison Valli, her cherished grandchildren, Gray and Katherine Valli, her brothers and sisters, Victoria Genberg, Crescent Pownall, Paul Stromdahl and Mark Stromdahl, her companion Jim Caggiano, and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Stephanie’s life will take place on Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 11 a.m. at the United Presbyterian Church of Milford, 109 Seaside Avenue, Milford. Interment will be private.

The Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, has been entrusted with the arrangements.

Memorial donations can be made to her beloved church home, the United Presbyterian Church of Milford, CT.

For more information and to leave online condolences, visit Adzima Funeral Home here.