Florence Stephanie (Butkowski) Milestan Laezzo, (affectionally known as “Mimi”) passed away peacefully on November 3, 2019 at the age of 101 at the Monsignor Bojnowski Manor in New Britain. Florence was born in Port Chester, NY on September 11, 1918 and was the daughter of the late Louis and Agnes (Sadlowski) Butklowski. She was a graduate of Port Chester High School. After graduating from secretarial school, Florence worked as a secretary prior to marrying and raising her children. She later worked in retail for D.M. Reads in Bridgeport until her retirement. Florence was extremely proud of her Polish heritage and shared many customs and traditions with her family. In addition she was devoted to her Roman Catholic faith and a dedicated communicant of Our Lady of Grace Church in Stratford for many years. Florence was a very diverse woman. During the warmer weather she was always tending to her garden. She enjoyed traveling, playing Canasta and appreciated her quite time reading. She had a passion for music and played the mandolin as well as the organ. An accomplished cook, Florence loved to create delicious Polish and Italian meals for her family to enjoy. Most of all, she was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her family was the center of her world and they meant everything to her.
Florence will be dearly missed by her daughters, Gloria Hudak-O’Hara of Nettles Island, FL, Denise Colburn and her husband Raymond of Wethersfield. She also leaves behind her grandchildren Charlene McCulley and her husband Stephen of Palm City, FL, Ronald Krystofik Jr. and his wife Donna of Colchester, Jason Colburn and his wife Katherine of Manassas, Va and Marissa Case and her husband David of Glastonbury along with her ten cherished great-grandchildren. She also leaves her sister Dorothy Mangano of Hammonton, NJ. In addition to her parents, Florence was predeceased by her husbands, Walter J. Milestan and Dominick C. Laezzo; brothers Frank and John Butkowski and sister, Genevieve Butkowski. Florence’s family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Middlewoods of Newington and Monsignor Bojnowski Manor for their loving and compassionate care while Florence resided there.
A private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on July 24th at St. Andrews Church in Colchester. Burial will take place at St. Michaels Cemetery in Stratford. There will be no calling hours. Memorial donations in Florence’s name may be made to Monsignor Bojnowski Manor, 50 Pulaski Street, New Britain, CT 06053. For online expressions of sympathy to the family, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com.
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