Mrs Gladys M. O'Brien

Waterbury – Mrs. Gladys M. (Townsend) McKenna O’Brien, formerly of River Edge, New Jersey, passed away on Friday June 21. Born Gladys Mildred Townsend on February 26, 1913 in Fosterdale, New York, daughter of the late Lillie and George Townsend.

How do I begin to tell you about this remarkable woman, my mother? She was a simple and honorable lady, but elegant in the way she lived her life. She was a generous person, especially to her family whom she loved dearly. She was generous with her love, her time and her energy to all her knew her.

Gladys worked for Sears for many years. When she was fifty years old she learned to ballroom dance. This activity she enjoyed for another fifty years.

Gladys is survived by her daughter, Marilyn Good, with whom she shared a home for four years, her son, Ted McKenna and wife Vi of Chatham, NY; six grandchildren, William Good of Westport, CT, Philip T. Good and his wife Kelly of Warren, CT, Kathleen Good of Providence, RI, Timothy McKenna of Mayfield, NY, Daniel McKenna of West Fulton, NY and Deborah Malito and her husband Carl of Grand Junction, CO. Gladys was immensely proud of her two great-grandsons, Jack and Quinn of Warren, CT. She leaves dear friends, Rita Urevitch, Emelia Serrano and June Ganci, all of New Jersey.

The family would like to thank Yankenia Brown and Kathy Carrillo for the wonderful care given to Gladys.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday, June 29, at 11:00 A.M. at Blessed Sacrament Church. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Friends may visit with Gladys’s family on Saturday morning from 9:30 A.M. until time to leave for mass at 10:30 A.M. at the Bergin Funeral Home 290 East Main St. in Waterbury.

Memorial contributions may be made in Gladys’s name to the Office of Radio and Television Archdiocese of Hartford 15 Peach Orchard Rd. Prospect, CT 06712 or to the Franciscan Home Care and Hospice 267 Finch Ave. Meriden, CT 06451.