Mary Christina Padgett

With broken hearts, we mourn the devastating loss of Mary Christina Padgett, 33, of Stamford, Connecticut, who passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in her home on Sunday, July 3rd. Mary, a lifelong Stamford resident, was born on March 6, 1989, the eldest child of the late Fredric C. Padgett Jr. and Christina Fortunato Padgett. Her infectious smile and generous spirit knew no bounds and her impish laughter touched our hearts. She will be forever loved and sorely missed.

Throughout her school years, Mary enjoyed discovering her talents in the arts through painting and drawing; in dance through ballet, jazz, hip-hop, and Irish step class; in music through piano, violin, and guitar; in reading through endless adventures in books and poetry; a love and compassion for animals through her menagerie of pets including birds, bunnies, puppies and kittens; and confidence by learning how to use her voice and speak her mind on matters of importance to her.

Mary’s interests in the arts continued to flourish through adulthood as she enjoyed an eclectic array of musicians and genres, collecting instruments and vinyl records, and making her own music with family and friends. Her travels to Paris and Venice heightened Mary’s interest and appreciation of the fine arts of all periods and styles, painting and drawing her own increasingly sophisticated artwork. Her infinite affection for all living creatures and her attentiveness to world events and support for significant causes reflected Mary’s humanist mindset. Her lightning wit and dry sense of humor were matched only by her love of all things silly.

Childhood summers on the beaches of Carolina cemented Mary’s connections to those she loved and all the elements of the earth – all one in the same from her standpoint. Her fierce love and devotion to those lucky few in her inner circle was infinite. And she counted herself lucky to have found extended family at Garden Homes Management, where she cultivated strong and lasting friendships and the professional respect of her colleagues, and where her highly developed organizational skills could find purchase.

Mary is survived by her devoted mother, Christina, her loving brother, Fredric C. Padgett III, her beloved dogs Addie and Sadie, her large grieving family of uncles, aunts and cousins, and a diverse group of friends and colleagues. In addition to her father, Mary was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Mary and Fredric C. Padgett Sr., and her maternal grandmother Alice Cole Fortunato.

The family has entrusted the funeral arrangements to Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home, 2900 Summer Street, Stamford, Connecticut. Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 11, from 1 PM to 3 PM, followed by a humanist service celebrated in the amphitheater at Earthplace, 10 Woodside Lane in Westport, Connecticut at 4 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to: Earthplace (www.earthplace.org),or the Stamford Firefighters Local 786 Burn Foundation, Stamford Fire Headquarters, 2nd Floor, 629 Main Street, Stamford, CT 06901 (www.stamfordfire.com/divisions/burn-foundation/).