Bridget J. Kusior

OGDENSBURG - A Mass of Christian Burial for Bridget J. (Griffin) Kusior, 96, of Ogdensburg, NY will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral, 415 Hamilton St, Ogdensburg NY. Visitation will be held on Monday, October 13, 2025, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Frary Funeral Home, 515 Caroline St, Ogdensburg. Burial will follow the funeral Mass in St. Mary's Cemetery, Ogdensburg. Mrs. Kusior passed away suddenly and peacefully at her home on Thursday, October 9, 2025, with her daughter Mary Frances in attendance.
Arrangements are under the care and direction of Frary Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Ogdensburg.
Bridget Josephine (Griffin) Kusior was born on January 26, 1929, in Ballymoe, County Galway, Ireland, the daughter of the late Patrick John and Mary (Boyle) Griffin. On April 25, 1959, she married Dr. Juan Kusior, psychiatrist, who predeceased her on March 24, 1973.
Bridget was born in a thatched roof cottage on the family farm, along the River Suck in Ireland. She loved her childhood, was a champion Irish step dancer, and was a talented player of the tin whistle and the accordion. Her father, a postman, read the newspaper to the children every evening around the peat fire.
Bridget read extensively, especially enjoying biographies and history. In her nearly 100 years, she was a contemporary of nearly one third of all the US Presidents. She emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1949, aboard the SS Marine Flasher, and arrived at Ellis Island, New York City, met by her uncle Martin Boyle. Bridget's name is recorded on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor at Ellis Island.
Her mode of arrival to the U.S. was somewhat historical in itself. The SS Marine Flasher was a retired troop ship, and prior, in 1946, was the first vessel to sail from Europe to the United States with Jewish refugees of WWII.
Bridget initially resided with the Boyles in Worcester, Massachusetts, and trained to be a licensed practical nurse at Worcester Psychiatric Hospital. While Bridget was excited to be in the United States, it was an adjustment living in the typical «three-decker» city home. The psychiatric hospital was located on a large hilly plot of land, and here she was able to walk the fields, as in Ireland, with her fellow nurses in training.
While working at the hospital in Worcester, she met her husband, Juan. Juan was also an immigrant. His family left Poland in the 1920's due to the mass poverty after WWII. Juan's ship brought him to Veracruz Mexico. Juan became a Mexican citizen, graduated medical school in Mexico City, and later became a U.S. citizen. Bridget treasured her honeymoon memories of Acapulco Mexico.
As Juan was advancing his career, Juan and Bridget lived in a number of states before settling in Ogdensburg: Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky. Bridget focused her time on raising her four children in Ogdensburg and participating in their activities. This included frequent drives across the bridge to eat Chinese food in Brockville; accompanying her sons Patrick and Lawrence to their minor hockey travel team games all over the North Country, and their power lifting tournaments to include St Louis MO; watching daughters' Dumas dance school recitals; watching daughter Anita perform gymnastics in Potsdam and win equestrian ribbons at the Gouverneur county fair on Mary Frances' horse Midge. Bridget herself won fun day ribbons riding the draft horse Rebecca at Carlisle's Sunnybrook Farm in Lisbon.
Bridget later returned to school and attended Canton ATC (SUNY Canton), and graduated from Mater Dei College Ogdensburg with an associate's degree and again certification as a licensed practical nurse. She worked at United Helpers Cedars nursing home and retired at age 67.
After retirement Bridget traveled extensively with her adult children, and as recently as two weeks ago took a pontoon boat ride on Lake Placid and attended the Great Pumpkin blaze near Sleepy Hollow NY.
Her husband Juan was never able to return to Poland, however after the fall of the Soviet Union, Bridget returned to Krakow Poland and met Juan's «Jan's» relatives, and became close to Edward and Jadwiga Kusior. Bridget remained in touch with Juan's relatives and dearly missed the company of his sister Maria Kusior Valdes of Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, who also passed at age 96. Bridget is survived by nephew Roque Valdes and wife Yolanda of Del Rio, TX; nephew Gustavo Valdes and wife Sylvia, nephew Ladislao Valdes and wife Delia, niece Sophia (Kusior) Charvel and husband Jorge; nephews Ladislao and Jorge Kusior - all of Mexico.
As of late, Bridget also missed the company of her sister Eileen (Griffin) McHugh of Massachusetts and later Maine, who lived into her eighties. Bridget continued to enjoy the company of Eileen's children who fully embrace rural lifestyles in Maine, and so reminded Bridget of her time growing up in Ireland. She leaves niece Maura McHugh and husband Dan Stockford of Bowdoinham ME; grandnephew Griffin Stockford of ME; grandniece Meriwether Stockford of CO; niece Susan Bridget McHugh and husband Mike Morrisey of Auburn ME.
Bridget did return to Ireland multiple times and finally was able to kiss the Blarney Stone, stay in Waterford Castle, and fly hawks at the Irish School of Falconry. In Ireland she is survived by brother Luke Griffin of Ballymoe; sister Rita (Griffin) Connelly of Kilmacrikard, Co Galway; nephew Michael Connelly and Pauline Sharkey, and grandnephew and grandniece Michael and Rita of Castlerea, Co Roscommon; nephew Padraic Connelly and wife Bridin and grandnephew Connor of Turla, Ballymoe; grandniece Trish Mai Connelly and fiance Lauris Kasperans of Roscommon; grandniece Sinead Connelly of Limerick; niece Majella (Connelly) Tully and husband Derek, and grandniece Coya and grandnephew Jackson of Roscommon.
Bridget visited Hawaii with Lawrence, and Turks and Caicos with Anita. She road tripped out west to see the Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Yellowstone, Sequoia National Park, Grand Tetons, Great Salt Lake, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest. She climbed the Chichen Itza pyramid and swam with dolphins in the Yucatan Mexico with grandchildren Marcus and Aileen Noble.
Bridget enjoyed being a long time resident of Ogdensburg, in her quiet neighborhood with a view of the St Lawrence River. She loved tending to her flowers, and kept a very colorful front lawn garden, which included her signature pinwheels. She was fortunate to have many wonderful neighbors to keep a watch on her, especially Joe and Beth. Above all, she cherished time spent with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchild.
She is survived by her children, Mary Frances Kusior MD and her fiancé Henry Buchala of Queensbury, NY; John «Patrick» Kusior MS MBA and his wife Kate (Flynn) MBA of Englewood, FL; Anita Sophia (Kusior) Bennett MD and her husband John Bennett MD of Columbus, OH: and Lawrence Joseph Kusior MD and his wife Nancy (Giannini) MD of Lagrangeville, NY.
Bridget leaves behind many cherished grandchildren, including Marcus Griffin Noble and his wife Emily Joy (Davis) Noble of South Glens Falls, NY; Aileen Frances (Noble) O'Connor and her husband Bobby of Lake Placid, NY; Ethan Kusior of Londonderry, NH; Andrew Langston Bennett of Seattle, WA; Lauren Sophia Bennett, John William Bennett, and PFC Nathan Haydel Bennett of Columbus, OH; Brian Patrick Kusior of Denver, CO; and Maria Rose Kusior and Nicholas John Kusior of San Diego, CA. She is also survived by her great-granddaughter, Ava Rose O'Connor of Lake Placid, NY.
She was predeceased by her husband, Juan Kusior MD; her granddaughter, Ashley Louise Bennett; and her siblings Bernie Russell Griffin, Joseph Oliver Plunkett Griffin, Martin Griffin, Patrick "Packie" John Griffin, Mary Frances Griffin, Kathleen Griffin, and Eileen (Griffin) McHugh.
Bridget wishes that expression of sympathy may take the form of joining the fight to cure ALS - Lou Gehrig's disease. This can be done by: 1) Donation: go to iamals.org and click on «Push for Progress» 2) Advocacy: go to iamals.org, at the waffle click on «Get Involved», then «Help the Legislative Team».
Online condolences may be made at www.FraryFuneralHome.com.