Jean V. Leary
Jean V. Leary, 95, of 200 Leeder Hill Drive, Hamden, CT died peacefully on September 9, 2009. She was the wife of the late John J. Leary, Jr. and resided for many years at 450 Fountain Street in New Haven before moving to Whitney Center in 2002. Jean was born in New Haven on April 30, 1914 to the late Biagio and Adelaide Venditti. She attended New Haven schools and was a 1934 graduate of Albertus Magnus College. After an initial career in social work, she became the second Alumnae Secretary of Albertus in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Her lifelong ambition to teach was realized in 1955 when she became the first lay teacher at Sacred Heart Academy, where she taught Latin, French and Spanish for 25 years and later headed the foreign language department. After retirement from Sacred Heart, Jean developed and taught a conversational Spanish and French program for the 7th and 8th grade classes at St. Aedan School in New Haven from 1982-1989. She also was a visitor's receptionist at the Hospital of St. Raphael from 1973 to 1993, first as a volunteer and later as a part-time employee. Jean was an active member of the Alliance Francaise of New Haven for over 40 years and a member of both the Catholic Charity League and the New Haven Council of Catholic Women. She received the Albertus Alumnae Association award in 1957 and the Sacred Heart Academy Hearts of the Community award in 1998. Jean is survived by a son, John J. (Suzanne) Leary of Hamden and three grandchildren: Matthew (Hillary) Leary of Syosset, NY; Brian (Jill) Leary of Woonsocket, RI; and Maura Leary of Washington, DC. The last eight years brought the joy of six great-grandchildren: Irene, Keegan, Margaret, Spencer, Alexandria and Parker. She is also survived by a sister, Olga V. (A. Robert) Parente of Hamden and was pre-deceased by a sister, Letitia C. Venditti. Funeral from BEECHER & BENNETT, 2300 Whitney Ave, Hamden on Saturday Sept. 12, 2009 at 8:30 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 AM in the Church of St. Rita. Friends may also visit with Jean's family on Friday from 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home. Interment will take place in St. Lawrence Cemetery in West Haven. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to either the Albertus Magnus College Alumni Fund, 700 Prospect Street, New Haven (06511) or the Sacred Heart Academy Scholarship Fund, 265 Benham Street, Hamden (06514). Her family wishes to acknowledge the excellent and loving care provided by the administration and staff of the Whitney Center Health Center during the last years of her life.
My thoughts and prayers are with you. It was so nice that Jean had a long loving life. So sorry I will miss the service. I will pray for the whole family.
.Madame Leary. was a wonderful woman, a dedicated teacher, and a delightful friend. I was blessed to share many of her SHA years as a fellow faculty member and will always treasure our friendship. The Leary/Lee/Colasanto/Ruthman era has come to an end…but the legacy lives on.
After every Barry Thanksgiving, Francesca would talk about who was there and who said what or did what. She often spoke about Jean and what an interesting woman she was. I’m sorry I never got to meet her. We would have had so much to talk about.
I shall miss you greatly Jean. I have such fond memories of you and your best friend Marion Lee over the years, and will treasure the stories you shared about Albertus .back when.. Your Albertus family loves you dearly.
Mrs. Leary was the BEST. How she put up with the antics of our Latin classes, I’ll NEVER know. She was strict and she loved her students…one of my most unforgettable characters, for sure. I’ll never forget her. I’m so glad her son & his family had her presence for so long of time. She was one of a kind.
My sympathy and care to John and all the Family of Jean Leary, Your mom spoke of you and about you with such tenderness and pride. In the 70’s in French class @ SHA Madame Leary often shared family stories with us in English! A good woman, always gracious and interested in the other person. She loved people! Special remembrance in my prayers.
Our deepest condolences to John, Suzanne, Matthew, Brian, and Maura. Bruce and Yvonne
DEAR JOHN AND FAMILY, MY DAD, FRANK PORTO, THOUGHT THE WORLD OF YOUR DAD AND FAMILY. I REMEMBER YOU FROM ST. AEDAN, WESTVILLE, YALE BASEBALL GAMES WITH YOUR DAD. TODAY, I WAS SADDENED TO READ ABOUT YOUR MOM. OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE WITH YOU DURING THIS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TIME. WITH DEEPEST CONDOLENCES, NANCY,JOHN,JASON,MARK FERRARO, AND MY MOM -NANCY PORTO
My condolences & prayers to you – Mrs. Leary’s family; whom she spoke very highly in our Latin classes at Sacred Heart. She was a very .classy. lady who served as an outstanding mentor to her many students. I was fortunate to then be a St. Aedan parishioner and School co-worker with her. How blessed are we to have had her touch our lives!
I was a (poor) student of Mrs Leary at Sacred Heart all the way to Senior Year. (1965) She was an example of patience, goodness, and forgiveness to me, and I will hever forget her. Be assured of my gratitude and prayers for her and for all who have loved her.
Jean was a beautiful women of her time . You could always count on her help and support . She didnn’t believe turn down a person who need help. There was always way to find the awser to your solution.
Be assured of my sympathy and prayers on the death of Jean.She was a wonderful person. I have fond memories of our times together at Sacred Heart Academy and St. Aedan’s. I was unable to attend the wake or funeral because I was in St. Louis but did pray for Jean and family. Sister Anne D’Alessio, SHA ’65, St. Aedan School ’61
Jean touched many lives including mine. She shared with me her passion for French, for music, for volunteer work and more importantly, for life. I am so blessed to have known her and will miss her deeply. My love and deepest sympathies to John, Suzanne and family.