Connie was born on August 15, 1944, in South Haven, Michigan, to Bennett and Marjorie Church. She spent her early years in Michigan, Missouri, and Texas, where she graduated from high school in 1962. Pursuing her passion for Art History, she graduated from the University of Kansas before embarking on travels throughout Europe leading to several years living abroad in Amsterdam and Vienna. Connie had three children with her first husband, Roger Adler. Returning to North America in the early 1970s, she split her time between New England and Montreal, Quebec where she earned her MBA from McGill University in 1985. She married her second husband, Austin Lee and was widowed in 1997.
In 1998 Connie resettled in Little Compton (after residing there in the 1970s) and met and married her beloved husband, Richard Castenson in 2005. Connie was an avid reader, found great joy in gardening, and cherished her time with Rich, exploring the world, cooking and sharing meals with friends, and biking along the coastal waterways during retirement. She was passionate about supporting and contributing to the community in which she lived through holding leadership positions with the Little Compton Wellness Center, Westport River Watershed Alliance, and Concerts at the Point.
Connie is survived by her devoted husband, Richard Castenson; her brother, Thomas Church (Carol) and their son Matthew; her children: Miles Adler (Lara) and their children Bennett and Estelle; Cate Rodriguez (Ruven) and their daughters Sophia, Lucy, and Isabella; and Alex Adler (Melody) and their daughters Lily and Emmy; her step-daughters: Cathy Rockwell (Jonathan) and their children Julia, Madelyn, and Carter; and Karen Vaughan (Rob) and their children Finley and Ingrid. She was preceded in death by her parents.
A private service will be held to honor Connie's life. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Our Sisters' School (https://www.oursistersschool.org/) or Visiting Nurse Home and Hospice (https://visitingnursehh.org), organizations dear to Connie's heart.
