Suzanne S. Galvin

Suzanne (Symonds) Galvin of Glastonbury, loving wife of Thomas B. Galvin and mother of Michael T. Galvin and Kathleen S. Johns-Galvin, passed away early Saturday morning in her home surrounded by family after a long-fought battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Born April 17, 1947 to William and Mary Symonds of Canton, Suzanne made Glastonbury her home for over 50 years.

Suzanne spent her life as a force of nature, making an impact on the world in every space she occupied. Her early years spent in Canton, CT with her brother N. William and sister Patricia were filled with friends, many of whom stayed close to her until her final days. A joyful, loyal and infectiously positive person, her friendship was a cherished gift to so many, friendships that served as the bedrock for the life she built. Those early days participating in Canton Benefit Productions, school plays, and volunteering with her parents translated into her involvement in countless roles, in a multitude of organizations. Many people benefitted from her leadership, from her early career as a flight attendant for TWA, to president of the Glastonbury PTO, to her 16 years of service on the Board of Education, 12 years as the chair. She worked tirelessly to build schools, improve lives, and help those around her in whatever way she could. All of the positions she held during her time in Glastonbury she held in a volunteer capacity, all while she and her husband Thomas raised their two children. She devoted herself to these roles without financial reward, but to make a positive contribution to the community she called home.

Her gravitational pull was enormous and she was tenacious about the things she was fighting for. She poured herself into everything she set her sights on, and although she was dogged in her determination, she did it with love and respect. More often than not, making lifelong friends in the process. Her home was always filled with friends, colleagues and family. Daily visits for afternoon tea, a meal or an evening cocktail could be for council on a pending referendum, advice on a color to paint a living room, to swap stories, sing show tunes or just to hear her contagious laughter.

A joyful soul, she touched so many and her memory will live on through the positive impact she had in their lives and the lives of those she never met. Suzanne is survived by her husband Thomas B. Galvin, her children Michael and his wife Catie, Kathleen and her wife Katherine; her beloved grandchildren Helen, Vivian, Hadel, and Henry; as well as her siblings Patricia Keane and William Symonds and his wife Sharon and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Funeral service celebrating Suzanne’s life will be Saturday, June 1, 2024 at 10 AM at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery, (Section 2), Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury. Suzanne’s family will receive relatives and friends at the funeral home chapel on Friday, May 31, 2024 from 3-7 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Suzanne’s memory may be made to PawSafe, from where so many of her cherished pets were rescued, at PawSafe Animal Rescue, 110 Sandy Beach Road, Ellington, CT 06029 or (www.pawsafe.org). For on-line expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopoeh.com