Wanda was born on October 28th, 1944 in New Haven, CT to the late Jonathan Walston Jr and Marian Walston (Hudson). She was a graduate of Guilford High School. She worked diligently and loyally for over 30 years at Graybar Electric in Hamden, CT. She was married and divorced twice, predeceased by both ex-husbands.
Wanda was an incredibly devoted wife and mother whose love and dedication knew no boundaries. Despite having a difficult childhood, she gave her heart and soul to ensure her child was always in safe and loving arms. While she would never characterize herself as perfect, she endured many hardships in life and was often cast into the role of caregiver for others, leaving little time for herself. This selflessness came to define her character, and anyone that saw her with her son knew that there was an incredible, loving bond that could not be broken.
In her prime, Wanda was full of energy; she never met a home improvement task she was afraid of or a tool she didn’t love and stow away in her toolbox. She was a dynamo who would move entire rooms around by herself, and often told a story about how she broke her Karate instructor’s toe during a sparring session. Wanda could cook a mean meatloaf, and a succulent beef stew to warm anyone’s bones on the coldest day. But, for reasons that we could never understand, she just couldn’t master fried chicken and constantly burned biscuits. It didn’t matter though, we ate them anyway because the main ingredient was always her love.
Later in life, as her health began to noticeably decline, Wanda was given the ultimate gift of becoming not only a Mother-in-law, but most unexpectedly a Grandma. It was with the revelation of the latter that she became revitalized, truly relishing every moment of the regular Tuesdays that she was able to spend caring for and cuddling with her darling Grandson, Noel. Nothing made her happier than to have her “Grammie time” with him. No one that knows her would doubt that Noel added meaningful years and much joy to her life. There simply was no more adoring Grammie than Wanda.
If we had to sum up her legacy to our family, it would be to say that she taught us the true meaning of unconditional love by living it every day for us to see. Her generosity was immense, her capacity for forgiveness was vast, and her spirit was always with us, in life as we are sure it will be after her untimely passing. Thank you, Mom. You did a great job, and we love you and keep you in our hearts.
Wanda is survived and will always be remembered lovingly by her son Albert Raebuck and his wife Tara Morgan, and her Grandson Noel Raebuck. She is additionally survived by her sister Charlene Mesick, her Niece Ann Hawkes, her nephew Jon Walston, and other respective family members.
She is predeceased by her father Jonathan Walston Jr., her mother Marian Hudson, her brother Jack Walston, her sister Emily Galvin, and her brother Nathan Walston.
Services will be private at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Cancer Research Institute at https://www.cancerresearch.org
To leave a condolence or share a memory, please visit www.montvillefuneralhome.com
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