Estrella "Ella" Samonte Bryant

Estrella “Ella” Samonte Bryant, aged 91, resident of Hamden, wife of the late Charles Bryant, passed away peacefully on July 3, 2025. Born in the Philippines, in the city of Manila, on April 26, 1934, daughter of the late Pastor Samonte and Simeona Leoncio. She graduated from the University of the Philippines and continued to earn her Master’s degree in Library Sciences in Minneapolis on a Fulbright Scholarship. Ella went on to work at the Brooklyn Public Library, where she met her husband. She worked as an editor in New York before becoming Editor of the Bibliography of Asian Studies, and then at Choate Rosemary Hall where her editorial eye, aesthetic design, and attention to detail were assets. An excellent cook and generous host, Ella and her husband hosted many family gatherings at their home and her legacy lives on through the recipes she passed down and the memories gathered around her table.

Ella will be lovingly remembered by her three children, Hayley, Steven, and Ryland; son-in-law, Tim Hobgood; and grandchildren, Nirina and Marco.

Friends are invited to visit with her family on Tuesday, July 8th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at BEECHER & BENNETT FUNERAL HOME, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Mary’s Church, 5 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven at 1:30 p.m. For those unable to attend the Mass in person, it will be live streamed here: Estrella Samonte Bryant Funeral Mass. Password: Ella7825. Ella will be buried next to her husband in Centerville Cemetery after Mass. To send a condolence to her family, please see obituary at www.beecherandbennett.com.