Burial Date
Obituaries » WANDA C. PERSONS
PERSONS, WANDA CECILIA FRANCIS, 83, of Waterbury passed away in the comfort of her family on January 17. Born in Winsted, Conn., on August 15, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Mathilda (Harris) Francis and Francis M. Francis. Wanda loved her hometown of Winsted where she graduated from Gilbert High School. On January 12, 1957, she married Wilbur John Persons in Winsted, Conn. Faith was a constant presence throughout Wanda’s life. As a young woman, she participated in the Young Ladies Sodality Club, the Catholic Daughters and the 3rd Order of St. Francis. Wanda continued her faith as a lively member of St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Waterbury, where she taught catechism, was a lector at daily Mass, a member and former grand regent of the Court of St. Theresa Catholic Daughters, as well as vice-president of the Holy Cross Cemetery Assoc. Wanda also enjoyed making rosaries and spending time with her prayer group. In her early years, while working as a bill collector at Sears Roebuck, Wanda found that she enjoyed working with numbers. While raising her family, she worked at the Holiday Inn, and as an accountant at Ward Lumber Co., and later, the state of Vermont, where she retired in 2000. She was also known in Waterbury for her skill in baking and decorating specialty cakes. Wanda enjoyed watching her grandchildren participate in sporting events and school activities; she also enjoyed bingo, casino trips, playing cards, cooking, and later in life watching birds in her backyard. She very much enjoyed entertaining and visits with family and friends, both new and old. Wanda possessed an inner strength shown through her 20-year fight with breast cancer and more recently, her survival through Tropical Storm Irene. The last week of her life was spent sharing stories and reminiscing with family and friends. Wanda is survived by her husband, John, of 57 years; her daughters, Theresa Wood and husband Gordon, Georgeanne Baker and husband Don, Patricia Meade and husband James, all of Waterbury, and Maryanne Larkin and husband Jeffrey of Duxbury. Wanda’s three grandchildren held a special place in her heart and she was very proud of each of them. Wanda is also survived by her twin sister, Lavon Francis, and her older sister, Louise Warren, both of Winsted, Conn.; her sister-in-law, Kathleen Francis of Ellington, Conn.; and her brother-in-law, Thomas Burke of Winsted, Conn. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews. Wanda also felt fortunate to experience strong bonds of friendship throughout her life and will be missed dearly by all. She was predeceased by her brothers, Alfred and Charles Francis, and her sister, Shirley Burke, as well as her brother-in-law, John Warren, and sister-in-law Jeanne Francis.
