Carolyn (Johnson) Alifano, 82, of Windsor, Vt., formerly of Bristol, widow of Gerald A. Alifano, passed away on Thursday, July 13, in Vermont surrounded by her loving family who will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest and with the utmost compassion.
Carolyn was born in Bristol on Jan. 21, 1941, and was a daughter of the late Theodore and Sophie “Jane” (Kowalski) Johnson. She was raised in Bristol where she graduated from Bristol High School and then left Bristol to raise her family in California, Virginia, and Massachusetts before marrying Gerald Alifano. She moved with Gerry to live in East Longmeadow, Mass., Santa Fe, N.M., Pennsylvania, and Munson, Mass., before settling in near her daughter in New Hampshire and Vermont.
The simplest pleasures in life brought Carolyn joy. While she loved spending time creating delicious meals for her family and shopping for them, her greatest joy was being with her family, her friends and her dogs. She found beauty and positivity in everything, with a pleasant personality that was contagious to everyone she met.
When she wasn’t filling her home with warmth and kindness, she could be found tending to her dogs and taking care of her neighbors. The hole left by her absence is impossible to fill and we will miss her greatly.
Carolyn is survived by three children: Robert M. Chmieleski, Jr. and wife, Jessica Evans of Wisconsin, Jill (Chmieleski) Sharif and husband, Tarek of Massachusetts, and Jean-Anne Chmieleski of New Hampshire; a sister: Diane Martin and husband John Martin, of Connecticut; seven grandchildren: Kate, Allison, and Emily Chmieleski, Ameera and Emma Sharif, and Logan and Eden Brown; and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, July 19, at 11 a.m. at Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol. Entombment will follow in the Holy Family Mausoleum, Bristol. Relatives and friends may call at Funk Funeral Home on Wednesday between 9:30 and 11 a.m.
Please visit Carolyn’s memorial website at www.FunkFuneralHome.com.
All TBE readers, supporters and donors
The Bristol Edition will be limiting the number of stories non-members and free readers may access each week. This decision is based on our financial projections and, most certainly, to remind people that TBE is serious about providing accurate, timely and thorough reporting for Bristol. To do this we have devised a financial support structure that makes unlimited access extremely affordable, beginning with a $6 monthly donation.
- Non-members will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Free readers and people who have subscribed by email will be able to access four (4) articles per week.
- Donors and financial supporters will have unlimited access as long as they log in.
Note: Donors may have to contact TBE if they find they are being limited, since we will need to set up a membership account for you. Email editor@bristoledition.org for instructions. Sorry for any inconvenience. People with financial difficulties may write editor@bristoledition.org to be considered for free access.