Grace M. Derrick

Grace was educated in the East Hartford School system with a brief respite in grade 3 to live with her grandfather and attended an on-room school house in rural Vermont. She loved to talk about this exciting time in her life.

After high school Grace worked in a lawyers offices in East Hartford. She attended Manchester Community College and received her associate's degree.

She went to work at the UConn School of Social Work where she was an administrative assistant and major computer guru teaching DOS and other current computer programs. She enjoyed instructing and she did it well.

Grace was a proud member of the Eastern Star joining at the age of 18 and rose up through the ranks to become Grand Matron at a relatively early age. She had fond memories of her time in this organization.

She was a lifelong member of St. John's Episcopal Church in East Hartford, serving as secretary of the vestry, choir member, lay Eucharistic minister, chalicist, regular vestry member and supporter.

Grace had two great loves - one was her cat Patches. She and Patches shared 18 years of cuddling and caring. While she was at Manchester Manor, her friend Sandy McGraw caged up the cat and brought her in every Sunday. Her second love was chocolate.

Some of the things Grace enjoyed were reading, word searches, lunches with friends and times with family. She celebrated her 50th birthday by purchasing a purple moped on which she often rode from Southington to her work at UConn.

Grace was predeceased by her parents, her brother George and her sister Alice. She leaves her brother-in-law James Denigris, her nieces Stacie, Tammy, Kim and Sondra and nephews Michael (Louise) and Mark (Ann), and a special cousin Doug (Kip) Rapp. Also left to cherish her memory always is her other family; Charlotte and Peter Muzeroll, Craig Miller, Paul and Sarah Miller and boys Cole and Sean, Robin Miller and Saralyn Miller, Kevin Knoer.

Now Grace is free to scoot around on her moped and eat chocolate!

A Memorial Service is to be held Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 10AM, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 1060 Main Street, East Hartford, CT 06108. Burial is private, there are no calling hours. Donations can be made in Grace's memory to St. John's Episcopal Church. Newkirk & Whitney Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.newkirkandwhitney.com