Mary Jane Madura

Mary Jane (Gichan) Madura, 67, widow of John Joseph Madura, of Clinton, passed away on December 30th at Branford Hospice after a long illness with family by her side. She was born on February 15th, 1949 in Providence, Rhode Island to the late Walter William and Catherine Agnes (Carroll) Gichan. Mary Jane was always proud of her Rhode Island roots, especially her accent. She honed it at St. Francis Xavier Academy where she graduated in 1967, and it survived a 45 year transplantation to southern Connecticut and the constant ridicule of her children. Mary Jane was never a good driver. She was also generally considered to be a poor cook save her ability to make an outstanding pot of clam chowder. She probably would like to be remembered for that. She had an uneven taste in music. She loved James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, and The Beach Boys. She also never gave up on a love of John Denver despite pleas from many around her to do so. Her greatest (only?) musical triumph, however, was her ability to play “My Wild Irish Rose” on piano from memory.

Her family knew her by many names: MJ (preferred), Majig (hated), Mom, Auntie Mary Jane, and Nana. She spent considerable time and effort shopping for all of them. She will be remembered as one of the “early adopters” of the online shopping model, but her recognition of the power of e-commerce did not translate into a mastery of the art of gift giving. The overwhelming volume of presents a recipient could expect to absorb over a given cycle led one family member to describe her gift giving strategy as simply “Shock and Awe.” Chances are good that every member of her extended family has something in their home that was at one time a gift from her.

Mary Jane loved to read. Books were important to her and she always kept plenty around in her home. She loved being a part of the church and teaching CCD for more than two decades. She loved Boston sports, particularly the Bruins, the Celtics, and the Red Sox. Her favorite players were Gerry Cheevers, John Havlicek, and Carl Yastrzemski. She liked Havlicek so much she named a series of cats after him. She had a special spot in her heart for dogs. After the passing of her husband, Lindy and Dooley were her most faithful companions. Those closest to her know that Mary Jane loved being a nurse. It is rumored that Mary Jane maintained the largest privately-owned stash of medical supplies in New England and her training from the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing prepared her to deploy those resources at any time.

Above all things, Mary Jane cultivated an irrational pride in her husband, children, and grandchildren. The way she could celebrate even their smallest accomplishments bordered on embarrassing. There is no doubt that a small part in all of them will miss that. She would probably cite her marriage to John as the greatest success in her life. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her and she knew it. Mary Jane’s love and anger could be intense and unpredictable. If you found yourself on the wrong side of it, the good news was you only had to wait a bit and things would change. Mark Twain once said, “anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” If there is some truth to that, then hopefully that is enough for all she left behind to heal and find peace with her memory. Her sons, John and Matt, their wives Whitney and Kate, and her grandchildren Ethan, Aidan, Maeve, and Gwen believe it is enough. Surely she would like to be remembered for that.

A Mass of Christian burial will be Wed Jan 4th at 11:00 AM at St. Mary’s Church of the Visitation in Clinton. Calling hours will be on Tues Jan 3rd from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Swan FH at 80 E. Main St, Clinton. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her name may be made to the Valley Shore Animal Welfare League. They maintain an online “wish list” and donations in the form of checks can be sent to Valley Shore Animal Welfare League, 647 Horsehill Road, Westbrook, CT 06498.