Loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother and aunt
Mrs. Grace M. (Sweeney) Bilanchone, 101, of Torrington, formerly of Kelly Road in Middlebury, passed away peacefully Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2015, at her residence. She was predeceased by her husband, Louis Bilanchone, and longtime companion, John Byrnes.
Grace was born in Waterbury Jan. 6, 1914, a daughter of the late Gilbert and Marie (Hodkins) Sweeney. She attended Post Junior College on Bank Street in downtown Waterbury. She worked at Uniroyal Rubber Co. for a while before she left to raise her family. She was a proud homemaker who loved gardening, cooking, canning and baking. She took great pride in her flower and vegetable gardens. She was formerly a member of several golf and bowling leagues. She volunteered for several organizations as a fundraiser. She was a former longtime communicant of St. John of the Cross Church.
Grace is survived by a son, Robert Kline and his wife, Carol, of Jacksonville, Fla.; two daughters, Lois Ercoli and her husband, Philip, of Middlebury and Anita Adams of Waterbury; 11 grandchildren, including Lianne Fuller and her husband, Glenn, of Cheshire; 15 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Grace’s family would like to acknowledge the entire Weingardt family for caring and treating Grace like their own. Besides her husband and companion, Grace was predeceased by a daughter, Dolores Pearl; four brothers, Leon Singleton, Leonard Sweeney, Francis Sweeney and Howard Sweeney; and a sister, Veronica Sweeney.
Her funeral will be Friday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. from Chase Parkway Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home at 430 Chase Parkway in Waterbury to St. John of the Cross Church in Middlebury for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Watertown. Calling hours will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
For more info or to send e-condolences, visit www.chaseparkwaymemorial.com.
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