Mary-Jo Holden

Mary-Jo (Gagnon) Holden, 64, of Rocky Hill passed away peacefully on September 30, 2020, surrounded by her family. Born in Hartford on March 15, 1956, she was the daughter of the late George and Florence (Della Rocco) Gagnon.

Mary-Jo graduated from South Catholic High School, and went on to receive her undergraduate, masters & 6th year degrees from Central CT State University in Education. She worked as a teacher at East Hartford Middle School her entire career retiring after 33 years in 2019. She loved teaching and spoke fondly of the students she taught during the years.

Mary Jo was passionate about her children and proud of all their accomplishments. She was kind and funny and loved dancing, Chair Yoga, and going to the senior center playing bingo and getting in trouble with her friend Mimi (Irene Ident).

Mary Jo leaves her beloved sons, Ryan Holden and his wife Amanda of Berlin and Nicholas Holden of Groton, her sisters Gladys Young of Florida,and Lori Schroll and her husband Brian of Wethersfield, her beloved aunt, Lucille Smith of Andover, nephews, Charles Tackett, Richard Tackett, Michael Tackett and Troy Foley, nieces, Alexandra Schroll and Alyssa Schroll and numerous great nieces and nephews. She also leaves her childhood friends Valarie Lafontaine, Laura Ruggiero and Ronald LaBrecque and her good friends Stella and Louie Agront. In addition to her parents and brother-in-law Ned Young, Mary Jo was sadly predeceased by her cherished son Stephen Holden.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at St. Josephine Bakhita Parish (St. Elizabeth Church) 280 Brook Street, Rocky Hill. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church (with a 50 person maximum allowed per church guidelines). Burial will follow at Mt. Saint Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. The family will receive relatives and friends on Monday, October 5, 2020 from 4-6 at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mary-Jo’s memory may be made to the Stephen Holden Memorial Scholarship, c/o Rocky Hill High School, 50 Chapin Avenue, Rocky Hill CT 06067. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.