Virginia Manizza

Ledyard - Virginia Manizza, 94, of Avery Hill Road, passed away Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, at St. Mary's Home in West Hartford.

She was born Oct. 1, 1918, in New York City, the daughter of the late Arthur Hagen Sr. and Mary (Gemeasky) Hagen, and moved to Ledyard two years later.

She married Rovaldo Manizza on Sept. 13, 1942, in Ledyard.

She was a very active member of the Ledyard Congregational Church throughout her life, where she served as a Sunday School teacher, choir member, Junior Choir director among many other roles. She was a member of 4-H and won a county baking powder biscuit contest. She also won a 4-H trip to Washington D.C. in 1936, representing the state of Connecticut. She was an active volunteer at the Ledyard Fair for many years, frequently acting as a judge for crafts. She was a member of the Ledyard Senior Center where she also sang in the choir. She loved knitting, baking, music, crocheting, and UConn women's basketball.

She worked as a bookkeeper, a seamstress, and in retail at Holdridge Farm Nursery for many years.

She is survived by her children, son, Ronald Manizza and fiancée, Fran Storch of Mansfield Center; daughters, Susan Manizza and husband, Michael Klein, of West Hartford, and Jean Jubenville and husband, David, of Westminster, Colo.; sister, Marian Arico of Norwich; sisters-in-law, Ellen Hagen of Ledyard and Angie Manizza of Waterford; her grandsons, Zachary Klein, Matthew and Ben Jubenville, and Greg Manizza, whom she had a special, loving relationship with each; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her brothers, Charles "Gib" and Arthur Hagen, and infant daughter, Priscilla.

Her family would like to thank Janet Barnett and the caring members of Ledyard Congregational Church for their support, and all the staff and friends at St Mary's Home for their loving, respectful care of our mother over the past year.

Calling hours will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday at the Church and Allen Funeral Home, 136 Sachem St., Norwich. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ledyard Congregational Church. Burial will follow in Avery Stoddard Cemetery.

To leave an online condolence for the Manizza family, please visit Virginia's memorial at www.churchandallen.com

Memorial donations in Virginia Manizza's memory may be made to Ledyard Congregational Church, 722 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Ledyard, CT 06339.