Irene Papaleo

It is with great sadness that the family of Irene E. Papaleo, 81, of East Hartford, announces her passing on Thursday, September 12, 2024 due to a brief battle with cancer. She was born to Gustave and Stella (Glover) Turbide on October 24, 1942 in Rumford, Maine. As the youngest of 12 children, she learned how to get along with everyone and to hold her own when she needed to, traits that served her well throughout her life.

She worked in the telecommunications industry as a clerical worker, moonlighting as a bartender over the years at several establishments. Irene found solace and community at Ss. Isidore and Maria at St. Paul Church, and she was a member of the Elks & Fraternal (widow auxiliary) and East Hartford South End Senior Center. Irene was fearless and independent, a fun-spirited soul who enjoyed spending time with family and friends, traveling, going to the casino, crossword puzzles, and sharing a bottle of red wine (with ice please) at dinner.

Irene married her first husband, with whom she had two children, daughter Darlene (partner Michelle) Saucier and son Robert Saucier. Though their relationship turned out to be less permanent than either of them had expected, Irene went on to marry her soulmate and love, Nicholas Papaleo, in August of 1993, who preceded her in death on Friday, September 12, 2008. Irene was stepmother to Nikki (Noel) Price, Pamela (Richard) Allyn and Michael Papaleo; was grandmother to granddaughter Danielle, great-granddaughter Caelin, step-grandchildren, Seth and Courtney Price, sister to Eva Burgess and Alice Deschambeault and aunt to several nieces and nephews. Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Gustave and Stella Turbide; her son, Robert Saucier and her siblings, Johnny Wyman, Ernest, Tony, Leo, Alvin and Norman Turbide, Rena (Turbide) Blodget, Marie (Turbide) Martin and Ann (Turbide) Filby.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to the staff at Riverside Health and Rehabilitation Center for their kindness, support, and care shown to Irene during her stay at their facility.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 12 at 10 a.m. Ss. Isidore and Maria Parish at St. Paul Church, 2577 Main Street, Glastonbury. Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church. Entombment will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Family and friends may call on Friday, October 11 from 4-6 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Irene’s memory may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Northeast, P.O. Box 22470, New York, NY 10087-2470 (online at http://www.lls.org/ct-hv). For online expressions of sympathy, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com