Obituary: Josephine 'Johnie' Concetta Kuchinski, Of Wilton

Information and Photo Courtesy Bouton Funeral Home

WILTON, CT —Josephine “Johnie” Concetta Kuchinski passed away on Saturday, April 9, 2022. Johnie was an extraordinary mother, grandmother, wife, aunt, sister and a passionate educator who lived a life marked by excellence in everything to which she directed her indomitable spirit, enthusiasm, energy and intellect.

Josephine Concetta Marchetti was born to Guissipina and Salvatore Marchetti on April 21, 1933 in Barberton, Ohio. In 1960 she married Frank L. Kuchinski, lived in Akron, Ohio, and then moved to Wilton in 1965. Wilton became her lifelong community where she was active in the Wilton League of Women Voters, PTA, Girl Scouts of America, and a Lay Minister at Sacred Heart Church in Redding.

Johnie was educated at Barberton High School and The Ohio State University, Class of 1955 where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics Education. After graduation, she started a lifelong journey as a passionate and committed educator and guidance counselor. She obtained a Master of Education degree from Kent State University in 1960, an Administration Certification from Fairfield University in 1981, a Sixth Year Diploma in Counseling from the University of Bridgeport in 1982 and completed various additional graduate courses in Career Education from Central Connecticut State University in 1986.

Johnie had a long career in the Connecticut State Department of Education and her passion was helping students as a guidance counselor by ensuring every student had an equal opportunity to education and opportunity. Throughout her career she counseled hundreds of students on the importance of education and the personal rewards provided by a vocational education. She worked as a guidance counselor at Bullard Havens Regional Vocational Technical School in Bridgeport, CT, J.M. Wright Regional Vocational Technical School in Stamford, Henry Abbot Regional Vocational Technical School in Danbury, and Platt Sikorsky Regional Vocational Technical School for Aviation.

While deeply committed to the educational process, she was equally committed to and loved her family. She was a passionate cook and believed that cooking was a labor of love bonding the family together at each meal and she passed this skill and love to her children and grandchildren. Johnie’s pie making skills were renowned in the family and everyone always looked forward to the latest seasonal pie. She was also a highly skilled lifelong sewing enthusiast (and a former sewing instructor) who sewed her own wedding dress as well as completing many of the soft furnishings for her homes over the years.

Johnie is survived by her daughter, Anne Kuchinski, of Wilton, and her sons, Frank Kuchinski of Stratford, and Ed Kuchinski of New Canaan, her granddaughters, Katharine Kuchinski and Elizabeth Kuchinski, and sister Mary Lanigan of Berkeley, CA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (https://myasthenia.org/). 1-800-541-5454.