Stella Soisson

1937 - 2018

Stella E. Soisson
Stella E. Soisson, age 81, of Stratford, passed away at her home on Christmas Day, December 25, 2018 after a difficult battle with ALS. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, William; her three children, son Thomas of Glastonbury and his wife, Pamela, son John and his wife, Melinda, of Brookfield, and daughter Carol and her husband, Donald Babiyan, of Stratford; and her four grandchildren, Connor, Jessica, Dawn, and Claire.
Stella was born in April 1937, the only child of Edward and Vincenza Popo and was raised in Schenectady, NY. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High School and Mildred Elley Business School, after which she began her working career as a secretary at Knolls Atomic Power Lab in Niskayuna, NY. In August 1961, she married William, and after the birth of her first child, began a new career as a devoted stay at home wife and mother who helped with many of her children's school activities.
As her children grew, Stella returned to part-time work as a receptionist at NutriSystem in Stratford and a data entry clerk at Mel Hart Appliances in Bridgeport. Even in her retirement years, Stella found ways to continue using her secretarial training by volunteering as the receptionist for the AARP Tax Aide Program in Milford.
Stella's Catholic faith was a very important part of her life. She volunteered in the religious education office at Our Lady of Grace Parish for over 45 years. At Our Lady of Grace, she also assisted by helping with the weekly Tuesday night Bingo. In 2006, Stella and her husband received the St. Augustine Medal of Service from the Diocese of Bridgeport for their service to Our Lady of Grace Parish and later received the Madonna Award from the parish itself. Stella enjoyed making Rosary Beads and made thousands that were given to religious organizations both locally and throughout the world.
Stella's hobbies throughout the years included bowling, painting ceramics, golfing, playing bingo, and finding fun socks for every occasion. She also enjoyed frequent bus trips, especially to the casino, and loved occasional trips to her self-professed "favorite place on earth", Disney World.
The family would like to thank all of the people who helped care for Stella during her fight with ALS, especially the outpatient clinic team at the Hospital for Special Care, 2150 Corbin Avenue, New Britain, CT 06053; The ALS Association of Connecticut, 4 Oxford Road, Milford, CT 06460; her friends at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 497 Second Hill Lane, Stratford, CT 06614; all of her caregivers through VNS of Connecticut and, most especially, her home health aides through Connecticut In-Home Assistance; and all of the other friends and relatives who assisted during her illness. Your presence and help during this difficult time were invaluable to us and mean more than you know.
Friends are invited to attend the funeral on Saturday, December 29, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. at the Pistey Funeral Home, 2155 Main Street, Stratford and at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Church, 497 Second Hill Lane, Stratford. Interment will follow at St. John's Cemetery, Stratford. Friends may call on Friday, December 28, 2018 from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Pistey Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a memorial contribution in Stella's name to any of the charitable organizations whose addresses are listed above. Please visit www.pisteyfuneralhome.com to express condolences online.