Mildred A. “Millie” (Tostarelli) Balkus, of Branford, and more recently East Hartford, passed away peacefully May 12, 2019. Mildred was the beloved wife of the late Raymond Balkus since 2009. Millie was born in East Hartford; daughter of the late Phillip A. and Philomena (DePalma) Tostarelli Sr.
Although Mildred did not have kids of her own, she often considered the many students she taught to be her children. She was dedicated to her profession, often staying late and working on weekends to provide a quality education to her students at St. Brendan School in New Haven. Her hobbies included walking The Green in New Haven every day, going to her favorite to dine Twin Pines Restaurant and Bakery, her yearly train trip to Pompano Beach, FL. where she would collect sea shells and rocks, and her daily stop to Dunkin Donuts for her coffee and plain jelly donut. She was an avid New York Yankees fan, loved her cat “Precious”, and was very close to her sister Dolly.
She is survived by her loving sister, Theresa P. "Dolly" Tostarelli and her fiancé Joe Piazza of East Hartford. She also leaves numerous cousins, nieces and nephews that were very close to her heart. Besides both her parents and her husband, she was predeceased by seven siblings, Angeline Tostarelli, Frank J. Tostarelli and his wife Jean, Phillip N. Tostarelli Jr. and his wife Viola, Mary A. Pulver and her husband John, Rose Tostarelli George and her husband Patsy, Michael Tostarelli Sr. and his wife Sylvia, Antoinette M. Tostarelli, and nephew Phillip J. Tostarelli.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN., 38105. The family wishes to thank the staff at Glastonbury Healthcare and at ST. Francis ICU for their dedicated care and support.
Relatives and friends are invited to the Newkirk & Whitney Funeral Home, 318 Burnside Ave., East Hartford, at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 16, followed with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10 a.m., in St. Mary's Church, 15 Maplewood Ave., East Hartford. Burial will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Mildred’s family will receive callers on Wednesday, May 15 from 4-7p.m. at the funeral home.
To leave an online condolence, please visit www.newkirkandwhitney.com
