Lucy Carrigan
February 22, 1924 — June 18, 2014
Lucy Dolores Carrigan entered the embrace of her Lord with her loving children by her side at the Stamford Hospital on Wednesday June 18, 2014. Throughout a lengthy illness, Lucy’s strong faith sustained her and her indomitable spirit and infectious smile brought her the respect and appreciation of all who knew her. She was 90 years young.
Born on February 22, 1924 in Calitri Province of Avellino, Italy, the loving and devoted daughter of Vincenzo and Maria Michela Frasca Zabatta, Lucy came to the United States with her family at the age of five. She graduated from Stamford High School, Class of 1939 and entered the workforce while still in school. One of her greatest joys ever was meeting and marrying the true love of her life, Joseph “Red” Carrigan in September 1950; they enjoyed many years together before Joe’s passing in 1999. Their loving children, Denise Carrigan and John Carrigan survive.
Lucy’s family, friends and co-workers always knew her to be a very gracious, helpful and caring woman who selflessly devoted herself to others. Both personally, and in her work related relationships, Lucy always engendered warm, cordial and extremely respectful feelings. Known for her beautiful eyes and smile, her positive outlook and attitude saw Lucy, her family and many others through countless dark and challenging moments. The fact that the name “Lucy” translates to mean “light” is both fitting and appropriate in that the strength of Lucy’s faith and personal character, as well as the true generosity of spirit she imbued in her children and conveyed to others, always compelled encouragement, support and love. Everyone that Lucy met was greeted with that warm, beautiful smile, a gentle handshake and a genuine, loving “God bless you”.
Lucy’s ability to bring light, consideration and support into trying and adverse situations was manifested at a very early age. Arriving in the Unites States in 1929, her family settled in Depression Era Stamford. Living in a “cold water flat”, one of Lucy’s daily responsibilities was to use her small wagon for a dual purpose; to transport bread her mother prepared to a local bakery – a practice many families employed to have their daily bread baked in the large ovens and secondly, Lucy would walk alongside of Stamford’s railroad tracks, collecting coal to help heat their home. When she would tell her children that story during their formative years, their “MamaLu” became and remained their greatest hero and inspiration.
Lucy always demonstrated the most profound sense of helping her family and others; in fact, the word “labor” so truly defines the hard working, responsible and diligent woman she was in the world of work and even more importantly, in her spirituality. Lucy earnestly offered up all her trials and adversities in the name of the Lord, and her labors are truly “worthy of the Promise of Christ”.
At a very young age, and throughout her life, Lucy always worked at various local factories all catering to the beauty and health-care industries; Chesebrough-Ponds, Northam-Warren/Cutex and Bristol-Meyers/Clairol. As well as being a very loyal and responsible machine operator at Clairol, Lucy served as their Union Shop Steward for many years. In the particular capacity, she truly blazed a trail, seeking and attaining much needed benefits and work rights for women in the labor force. As much as she spent long, tough days on the assembly line, she was also welcome in the boardrooms of Clairol where their executives would seek her counsel and perspective. Lucy’s dedication to and support of “her girls” was legend.
Throughout her life, Lucy’s tastes and interests were both simple and refined, yet she enjoyed many wonderful pastimes with Joe and their children. Long an avid fan of ‘30’s and ‘40’s era old Hollywood films, Lucy would regale her children of youthful antics of spending Saturdays at the Rialto and Strand theaters – certainly getting full value of their twenty five cent admission with her marathon movie runs, as well as building a complete dinner service for 24. Classic love stories and musicals were her favorite as were radio and television shows, such as Lawrence Welk, Dean Martin and more recently, Food Network programs. As with her husband, Joe, Lucy always had a song in her heart and so loved being around family and friends celebrating life. Those early entertainment influences even had Lucy naming her daughter after the French actress Denise Darcel, as well as providing her niece and God-daughter her nickname after Margo Lane, from the radio show, “The Shadow”. (Our Mom’s humor and passions will make us smile forever!)
Trips to Italy, Ireland (to explore their respective roots) were highlights of Lucy and Joe’s travels as were summer trips to Canada, Maine, Vermont and over forty years in Newport, RI. Everywhere she went,”sunshine followed Lucy”. A longtime communicant of St. Mary’s RC Church, Lucy also enjoyed services at The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist where she and Joe were married and their children were baptized. In addition to her great love of and devotion to family, her exemplary work ethic and commitment to others, the very essence of Lucy’s life was the strength of her Catholic faith. Especially devoted to the Sacred Heart, Mother Mary and to St. Anthony, the pure beauty and blessing of Lucy’s faith was how it compelled and sustained her in everything she did throughout the last six months of many health complications. She prayed devoutly and fought valiantly. The crosses she carried and the purity of her beliefs now provide for an eternity of well deserved peace…(We are so proud of you, MamaLu.)
In addition to her parents and husband, Lucy was predeceased by her sisters, Rose Marciano, Concetta Zampaglione, Antoinetta Vallerio and Lucietta Zabatta, as well as her niece and nephew, Dolores and Vincent Freccia.
In addition to her children Denise and John Carrigan, both of Stamford, Lucy’s memory is cherished by her sister,Theresa DeLuca;nephew, Anthony(Irene) DeLuca of West Palm Beach, FL; nieces, Mary(Ted) Fiordelisi of Stamford and Margo Pasquale of New Rochelle, NY; sister-in-law, Eileen (Alfred) Abbott of Stamford. Many nieces, nephews and cousins from the Carrigan family, as well as those from The Zabatta family, both in the U.S and in Italy also survive. Lucy also leaves behind many dear friends of both her children, as Lucy would always say, “ I love you all… God Bless.” Vi amero per sempre, Madre.
A funeral procession will be leaving The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 8:40 AM for a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 9:00 AM at St. Mary’s RC Church, 566 Elm Street, Stamford. Interment will follow at St. John’s RC Cemetery, Darien. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, June 22, 2014 from 2:00-5:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lucy’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Building, Memphis, TN 38105
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com
Born on February 22, 1924 in Calitri Province of Avellino, Italy, the loving and devoted daughter of Vincenzo and Maria Michela Frasca Zabatta, Lucy came to the United States with her family at the age of five. She graduated from Stamford High School, Class of 1939 and entered the workforce while still in school. One of her greatest joys ever was meeting and marrying the true love of her life, Joseph “Red” Carrigan in September 1950; they enjoyed many years together before Joe’s passing in 1999. Their loving children, Denise Carrigan and John Carrigan survive.
Lucy’s family, friends and co-workers always knew her to be a very gracious, helpful and caring woman who selflessly devoted herself to others. Both personally, and in her work related relationships, Lucy always engendered warm, cordial and extremely respectful feelings. Known for her beautiful eyes and smile, her positive outlook and attitude saw Lucy, her family and many others through countless dark and challenging moments. The fact that the name “Lucy” translates to mean “light” is both fitting and appropriate in that the strength of Lucy’s faith and personal character, as well as the true generosity of spirit she imbued in her children and conveyed to others, always compelled encouragement, support and love. Everyone that Lucy met was greeted with that warm, beautiful smile, a gentle handshake and a genuine, loving “God bless you”.
Lucy’s ability to bring light, consideration and support into trying and adverse situations was manifested at a very early age. Arriving in the Unites States in 1929, her family settled in Depression Era Stamford. Living in a “cold water flat”, one of Lucy’s daily responsibilities was to use her small wagon for a dual purpose; to transport bread her mother prepared to a local bakery – a practice many families employed to have their daily bread baked in the large ovens and secondly, Lucy would walk alongside of Stamford’s railroad tracks, collecting coal to help heat their home. When she would tell her children that story during their formative years, their “MamaLu” became and remained their greatest hero and inspiration.
Lucy always demonstrated the most profound sense of helping her family and others; in fact, the word “labor” so truly defines the hard working, responsible and diligent woman she was in the world of work and even more importantly, in her spirituality. Lucy earnestly offered up all her trials and adversities in the name of the Lord, and her labors are truly “worthy of the Promise of Christ”.
At a very young age, and throughout her life, Lucy always worked at various local factories all catering to the beauty and health-care industries; Chesebrough-Ponds, Northam-Warren/Cutex and Bristol-Meyers/Clairol. As well as being a very loyal and responsible machine operator at Clairol, Lucy served as their Union Shop Steward for many years. In the particular capacity, she truly blazed a trail, seeking and attaining much needed benefits and work rights for women in the labor force. As much as she spent long, tough days on the assembly line, she was also welcome in the boardrooms of Clairol where their executives would seek her counsel and perspective. Lucy’s dedication to and support of “her girls” was legend.
Throughout her life, Lucy’s tastes and interests were both simple and refined, yet she enjoyed many wonderful pastimes with Joe and their children. Long an avid fan of ‘30’s and ‘40’s era old Hollywood films, Lucy would regale her children of youthful antics of spending Saturdays at the Rialto and Strand theaters – certainly getting full value of their twenty five cent admission with her marathon movie runs, as well as building a complete dinner service for 24. Classic love stories and musicals were her favorite as were radio and television shows, such as Lawrence Welk, Dean Martin and more recently, Food Network programs. As with her husband, Joe, Lucy always had a song in her heart and so loved being around family and friends celebrating life. Those early entertainment influences even had Lucy naming her daughter after the French actress Denise Darcel, as well as providing her niece and God-daughter her nickname after Margo Lane, from the radio show, “The Shadow”. (Our Mom’s humor and passions will make us smile forever!)
Trips to Italy, Ireland (to explore their respective roots) were highlights of Lucy and Joe’s travels as were summer trips to Canada, Maine, Vermont and over forty years in Newport, RI. Everywhere she went,”sunshine followed Lucy”. A longtime communicant of St. Mary’s RC Church, Lucy also enjoyed services at The Basilica of St. John the Evangelist where she and Joe were married and their children were baptized. In addition to her great love of and devotion to family, her exemplary work ethic and commitment to others, the very essence of Lucy’s life was the strength of her Catholic faith. Especially devoted to the Sacred Heart, Mother Mary and to St. Anthony, the pure beauty and blessing of Lucy’s faith was how it compelled and sustained her in everything she did throughout the last six months of many health complications. She prayed devoutly and fought valiantly. The crosses she carried and the purity of her beliefs now provide for an eternity of well deserved peace…(We are so proud of you, MamaLu.)
In addition to her parents and husband, Lucy was predeceased by her sisters, Rose Marciano, Concetta Zampaglione, Antoinetta Vallerio and Lucietta Zabatta, as well as her niece and nephew, Dolores and Vincent Freccia.
In addition to her children Denise and John Carrigan, both of Stamford, Lucy’s memory is cherished by her sister,Theresa DeLuca;nephew, Anthony(Irene) DeLuca of West Palm Beach, FL; nieces, Mary(Ted) Fiordelisi of Stamford and Margo Pasquale of New Rochelle, NY; sister-in-law, Eileen (Alfred) Abbott of Stamford. Many nieces, nephews and cousins from the Carrigan family, as well as those from The Zabatta family, both in the U.S and in Italy also survive. Lucy also leaves behind many dear friends of both her children, as Lucy would always say, “ I love you all… God Bless.” Vi amero per sempre, Madre.
A funeral procession will be leaving The Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford on Monday, June 23, 2014 at 8:40 AM for a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 9:00 AM at St. Mary’s RC Church, 566 Elm Street, Stamford. Interment will follow at St. John’s RC Cemetery, Darien. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday, June 22, 2014 from 2:00-5:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Lucy’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place Building, Memphis, TN 38105
To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lucy Carrigan, please visit our flower store.