Amy S. Grillo

Amy S. Grillo, of Chester passed away unexpectedly surrounded by her closest family at the age of 61, on January 31st 2024 at Yale New Haven Hospital. Born in Middletown January 8th, 1963 to Phyllis Kruger and Arthur Shail.

She is survived by her two sons, Timothy and Shawn, her granddaughter Madelyn, her sisters Deborah Wood and husband Alan of Uncasville, Cynthia S. Naughton of East Hampton, Holly Bartoletti and her husband Mike of Southington, and her brothers John Shail of Chester, and Arthur Whitney Shail of Bristol, as well as multiple generations of many adoring nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband and love of her life, Robert Grillo also of Chester, her Father Arthur of Middletown, Mother Phyllis of Haddam Neck, her brother Steven of Essex, brother-in-law Robert B. Naughton and her nephew Kevin Naughton.

Amy donated almost every Sunday over the last 25 years to the Deep River Congregational Church where she taught Sunday School and was a mentor to countless confirmands throughout the years. She was so loved and respected by the youth that they would come to her the year before their confirmation, just to make sure they got her as a mentor before anyone else could. She was also the favorite among the congregation to run the various breakfasts and coffee hours throughout the year because of her generosity and culinary expertise which also overflowed into her personal life hosting and cooking for her extended family nearly every holiday.

In addition to being devoted to her faith and the church, she also loved the natural world and was never without her camera to capture it. She was an avid wildlife photographer who would travel the North East to capture stunning pictures of a wide variety of birds but also anything else that caught her eye from the waterfalls and landscapes of Vermont where she and her late husband Bob were the happiest, to the flowers in the gardens that she would painstakingly cultivate and take so much pride in every year at her house in Chester in hopes of attracting all types of wildlife. Her tireless hours spent planting certain trees and plants to attract birds and butterflies was only shadowed by her infatuation with her hummingbirds which she would track from the south every spring, keep a record of her first and last ones every year on her calendar, and make gallons and gallons of food for them all summer to keep the countless red and glass feeders hanging in every corner of her property full and attracting more and more each day.

She was devoted to her lifelong work at Bob Grillo’s Centerbrook Package Store in Centerbrook since the day she walked in to apply for a summer job 43 years ago. It gave her yet another reason to be considered a staple of our community; instantly befriending anyone who walked through those doors and greeting them with the selfless smile we all grew to know and loved so much. Amy was the epitome of selflessness and humility, and anyone that was ever lucky enough to cross paths with her will be the first to tell you. She loved unlike any other, so softly and wholeheartedly while also so passionately and fiercely and would stand up to anything for which she loved. She truly was a blessing to us all.

Please join us in celebrating her light, being thankful we knew her, and paying respects to this truly one of a kind soul at Robinson, Wright, and Weymer Funeral Home at 34 Main Street in Centerbrook on Friday the 16th of February from 3pm – 6pm. Everyone in attendance is welcomed and encouraged to join us afterwards at Noah’s at 63 Main in downtown Essex to celebrate her life as one big family, just the way she always did for all of us.