Obituary of Agnes P. Gagnon
Agnes Gagnon (Phillips), lovingly known as Ag, Mom, Memere, and Terry, passed away peacefully at home on August 8th, surrounded by her family. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Richard, with whom she shared 58 years of marriage. She was also predeceased by her sister, Louise, and her husband, Peter Piwolski, and by her brother, August Phillips, and his wife, Carol.
Agnes was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, and spent many happy days in South Windsor on the Sele family farm. Those days helped foster her lifelong love of animals, as she cared for cows, pigs, and chickens and worked alongside the Sele family in the tobacco fields during harvest season. It was also during her working years at Pratt & Whitney that Agnes met Richard, the man who would become her husband and lifelong partner.
After marrying Richard, Agnes devoted herself to what she considered her most important job—being a mother. She became a full-time mom to their four children and, in later years, extended that same love and care to her grandchildren, becoming their beloved Memere and often their caregiver. Her family was always at the center of her life.
Agnes had many interests and passions. She loved sewing, gardening, arranging flowers, and, perhaps most enthusiastically, shopping at her favorite store, Goodwill. She spent several years volunteering with the Glastonbury Historical Society and took an interest in town affairs. Her faith and heritage were also important to her. She was involved with St. Paul’s Church, now St. Isidore and Maria, in Glastonbury, and Holy Trinity Church in Hartford, where she reconnected with and celebrated her Lithuanian heritage.
Agnes also cherished her friendships. She enjoyed playing bridge and was often happy to host games at her home. She encouraged her grandchildren to learn the game as well, and a few were fortunate enough to become her bridge-playing partners.
But of all the things in her life, Agnes’s greatest source of pride was her grandchildren. She and Richard, affectionately known as Memere and Pepere, spent countless hours caring for them and creating memories together. They would often take the grandchildren on little adventures, and the stories of those adventures—and the escapades that took place at Memere and Pepere’s house—continue to be shared and remembered by the family. Agnes was immensely proud of each of her grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to speak about them with love and admiration.
Agnes had a special ability to make people feel welcome. Anyone who struck up a conversation with her could quickly become a friend. She enjoyed the company of her neighbors and treasured the many friendships she made throughout her life. Her warmth, humor, curiosity, and genuine interest in others left an impression on everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Agnes leaves behind her four children: Nancy Kalos and her husband, Steve; Raymond and his wife, Cathy; Robert and his wife, Lisa; and Jeanine Baxter and her husband, Bart. She is also survived by her ten grandchildren, Brenden, Devon, Alex, Jake, Margot, Jacquie, Garrett, Tucker, Tyler, and Liam, and her two great-grandchildren, Vienna and Gwendalyn.
Agnes will be remembered most of all as a devoted wife, loving mother, proud Memere, loyal friend, and someone who found joy in the simple pleasures of family, friendship, and everyday life. Her love for her family and the memories she created with them will remain a lasting part of their lives.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, August 14th at 10am in SS Isidore and Maria Parish at St. Paul Church, 2577 Main St., Glastonbury. Calling hours will be held on Thursday August 13th from 4pm to 7pm at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury. A private burial with immediate family will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Saint Casimir's Lithuanian Society, 28 West Street, Windsor, CT. (founded in 1910 to preserve Lithuanian traditions and Christian values) For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.