Shelley Nadeau

1946 - 2020

Shelley Nadeau
Shelley "Nana" Nadeau, age 73, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her honey Burt and loving family. She was born February 20, 1946 in Danbury, CT. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Joseph Nadeau in 2005, and her son-in-law Edmond Brendan Ridgeway in 1991. Throughout her life, in service to her family and friends, she would go without so others would have what they needed.
Quite the paradox, Shelley was small in stature and larger than life. In addition to her full time role as an Indian Warrior Princess, she was known to moonlight as HANK: a spirited handyman that could tackle any project from painting cathedral ceilings and patching holes in walls to breaking "the cycle." Through Hank, she mastered the English language by altering certain four letter words into many parts of speech.
She was a meticulous domesticated goddess. Everything had a place and every place was exceptionally clean. The walkway to the front door was lined with marigolds from seeds she painstakingly collected at the end of every season. She was the "team mom:" laundering jerseys, cutting up oranges, and making pasta and sandwiches for seven different sports teams from three different high schools for over thirty years.
A collector in her own right, she had a myriad of objects that personified the connectedness of her family. An extensive t-shirt collection represents her family's travels to places that alluded her lifetime; it was a vicarious connection to her children's experiences. To the amusement, and sometimes terror of her grandchildren, nutcrackers of all sizes adorned every inch of the house during the holidays. She had enough coffee mugs to hold the melted polar ice caps; climate change is real.
She ran a small catering business out of her home as she mastered cooking for just her immediate family on any given day of the week, promptly at 5 p.m. She would produce baked goods for every holiday event including an elaborate spread of cookies each Christmas that would rival most bakeries. While she owned measuring spoons and cups, they were rarely used to measure any ingredient as everything was a pinch of this or a shake of that.
She provided nourishment to both the mind and belly, as it was common for people to just stop by and chat for hours over coffee and tea. She had a no nonsense approach to giving advice, aptly named "Shelleyisms," a testament to her strong-willed nature. She was a biological mother to five girls, but was Nana to everyone who walked through the door.
Her once upon a time began in 2010, when her journey intersected with her honey, Burt. Her heart was light with love and personified by the illuminating smile on her face. When court wasn't in session with the honorable Judge Judy, she would be by Burt's side at the ocean collecting shells. They'd walk for hours antiquing for treasures at yard sales to display in the house they made their home. This was truly her happy ever after.
Shelley is survived by her companion Burt Lattin; her five daughters, Michelle (Carl) Cole, Tracey Kurjiaka, Kimberly (Craig) Mcnamara, Cherri Ridgeway (Rui), and Melissa (Jason) Nadeau-Weinheimer; grandchildren Christin (Tim) Bradle, Matthew McNamara, Brittany Ridgeway, Andrew Kurjiaka Jr., Carl Cole Jr., Shelby Kurjiaka, Trevor Kurjiaka, Sara McNamara, Grace Mcnamara, Cwen Cole, and Bastian Weinheimer; great-grandchild Sophie Bradle. She is also survived by her beloved sisters and brothers, and many nieces and nephews that she loved like her own children!
A celebration of Shelley's life will take place on Saturday, January 18, 2020 between the hours of 11 a.m. - 3 p.m at Tarrywile Mansion, Danbury, CT. Words of Remembrance will begin at 1:30 p.m.