On Saturday, May 23, 2020, Julia Marie Tavano passed away at the age of 102. She died peacefully in her sleep of natural causes. Neither the flu of 1918 nor the virus of 2020 could catch up with her. She felt that 100 years were just not enough, and she was still looking to the future. Up until the last few days, when she just didn't feel well, Julia was planning such activities as making pasta from scratch and reupholstering a living room chair to match a new rug.
Born April 14, 1918, in Hartford, CT to the late Rocco and Marietta (Del Rossi) Ceraso, she grew up in a typical Italian household where her love of baking first took root. Following her studies at Center School and East Hartford High School, Julia went to trade school to study Food Services Management and then one year of study at Morse Business School. She and her husband, Cataldo Tavano, made their home in East Hartford, where they raised three children. After the children were grown, she worked 19 years for the State of Connecticut as an Accountant Clerk.
Julia had a wide variety of interests. She was a former member of the Red Hatters, the Glastonbury Piecemakers Quilt Guild, and the Aqua Kittens & Several Toms exercise group. Throughout her life, she took adult education classes at any opportunity. She enjoyed all arts and crafts, but particularly baking (wedding cakes were her specialty), candy making, sewing, quilting, stenciling, basket making, knitting, cross stitch, rug hooking & rug braiding, and the list goes on & on. Over the years, she accumulated a large collection of cookbooks, baking pans, craft books and supplies that literally lasted a lifetime. In addition, she enjoyed collecting dolls and more dolls. In her younger years she enjoyed travel - including trips to Italy, the Caribbean & Canada. More recently, she looked forward to her yearly visits with her daughter in MD.
All who knew her admired her limitless energy and kind & gentle nature. She would frequently reminisce about her well-attended 100th birthday parties: relatives from all over the U.S. gathered for the "family party" to celebrate her life & friends from the Glastonbury Wellness Center honored her at a separate "pool party." She was known for her closing phrase to just about everyone: a heartfelt "I love you."
Aside from her parents, she was also predeceased by her husband of 52 years, Cataldo Tavano, as well as by her brother, Mario Ceraso, and sister, Helen Conroy. She is survived by a son and two daughters and their spouses: Louis and June (Bonzani) Tavano of East Hartford; Maryann and Frank Kozikowski of East Glastonbury; Judith and Ross Gardner of Burtonsville, MD. She is also survived by two grandchildren: Louis and Kelly (Rech) Tavano Jr. and daughters Francesca and Gabriella; and Theresa and Anthony Janeczek and children Marisa, Joslyn, Lindsay, and Mark. She will be fondly remembered by numerous nieces and nephews, many friends and caretakers.
Due to the current health crisis, private funeral services and burial at St. Mary's Cemetery, East Hartford, were held on Wednesday, May 27, 2020. Memorial contributions in Julia's name may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 200 Executive Blvd., Suite 4B, Southington, CT 06489. The D'Esopo-East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford has been entrusted with the care of the funeral arrangements. For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopoeh.com.
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