Alba Novella (Turcio) Krawiecki passed away surrounded by the love and prayers of her family and friends in the pre-dawn hours on Sept. 7. Alba was the daughter of the late Catello and Josephine (Petagna) Turcio. She was the loving wife of Edward Krawiecki for 59 years, and devoted mother to her five children and their spouses: Edward Krawiecki, Jr. and his wife Sharon, Gregg Krawiecki, Robert Krawiecki, Dan Krawiecki (Meegan – predeceased) and Mary and her husband Rick Dombrowski.
She was the beloved grandmother to Catie Gworek and her husband Greg, Ned Krawiecki, Emily Jennings and her husband Michael, Brian and Michael Dombrowski, Robert Krawiecki and his wife Keeley, Christina, Julianna and Stacie Krawiecki, and great-grandmother to EJ and Jack Gworek, Bo Krawiecki and William Jennings. She is survived by her brother Mario and his wife Ginny Turcio.
She was predeceased by her two sisters, Aurora Turcio and Vera Carpentieri.
Alba was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Oct. 26, 1926. She grew up in New Haven, Conn. Ever the trail blazer, she was the first of her family to attend college going to Southern Connecticut Teacher’s College where she earned a degree in Education.
She began her teaching career at the Barnard Brown School in Hartford, during which time she met her husband at a weekend dance. They settled in Bristol, Conn., and she left formal teaching for almost 20 years while she raised their family.
It was often said that she honed her teaching skills while educating her children. Once Alba’s youngest child was old enough to attend school, she re-entered the world of education as a remedial reading instructor at St. Stanislaus School. Shortly thereafter, she was hired by the Bristol Board of Education and began a 30-year career as a 3rd grade teacher at Bingham, Patterson and Southside schools. She was honored and humbled by the many conversations she had with students who became teachers themselves because of the opportunity they had to learn from her.
In addition to her dedication to the public schools in Bristol, she and her husband deeply believed in the value of Catholic education. All her children and grandchildren, at one time or another in their formative years obtained educational experiences from Catholic institutions. She became a staunch supporter of St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol and established a scholarship there upon her husband’s death.
Ever the conversationalist, anyone that knew Alba knew that she was prepared to debate any subject with passion. We remember her especially for her lively political debates with anyone she met, whether family, friends, the meat counter clerk, the pharmacist or her priest. Sprinkled into those conversations was always the importance of hard work, Christian values, independence and the need to educate yourself on all things impacting your life. It is most likely these learning lessons which caused her children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren to always engage in spirited debate.
Alba and Ed were ever the inquisitive travelers, always preferring to hop in a car to travel to new places. They always said that it was better to travel by car so that you could learn everything along the way about the places and people that you met. Alba was extremely proud of her Italian heritage and her inherited husband’s Polish culture. They relished in the many opportunities they had to travel back to their parents’ homes in Italy and Poland where they were able to connect with family and long-time friends. Alba’s one regret in the end was that she was not able to visit the Isle of Capri, the prettiest place on earth, one more time. Ever the instructor, she asked her children and grandchildren to do that for her after she was gone.
In retirement, she enjoyed being a volunteer with her favorite local organizations including The New England Carousel Museum, Bristol Hospital Auxiliary, the Bristol Student Mentoring program and the local Republican party. She had an extreme love of flowers, evidenced by her constant puttering in the gardens. In addition, Alba loved playing golf and watching her husband fish at their small cottage on Lake Harwinton or by the ocean on Martha’s Vineyard. She was a lifelong New York Yankee fan and avid fan of the UConn Women’s basketball program.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to the “Team Alba” caregivers during the last year of mom’s life for their gentle care and warm friendship: Veronica James, Nancy Manke, Lisa Gracie, Liz Iwanow, Ashley Chadbourne and Sara Corrow.
The family looks forward to greeting and celebrating Alba’s life at Funk Funeral Home, 35 Bellevue Ave., Bristol on Sunday, Sept. 10, between 2 and 5 p.m., and at the Mass Celebrating her life on Sept. 11, at St. Stanislaus Church, 510 West St., Bristol, at 10 a.m. Entombment to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Bristol.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts be considered to the Edward and Alba Krawiecki Family Scholarship Fund, established for students at St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, CT c/o Riverside Investments, 10 Main St., Bristol, CT 06010 or McLean Home Care and Hospice of Simsbury, 75 Great Pond Rd., Simsbury, CT 06070.
Please visit Alba’s memorial web-site@www.FunkFuneralHome.com.
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