Constance Elaine Holden

1946 - 2025

Constance Elaine Holden

Hadley, MA - At daybreak on Monday, January 20, 2025, as the sun rose over a freshly fallen blanket of pure white snow, and with her husband Richard and other family members by her side, Constance Elaine Holden took the hand of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and peacefully passed from this earth, entering into His kingdom and receiving the reward of eternal life.

Constance was born on September 9, 1946, in Springfield, to the late Stephen and Anna (Gwozdz) Lak. Constance lived each and every day of her 78 years with dignity and grace, and with her love and devotion to her family at the center of everything she did. For the past seventeen years, she valiantly battled cancer on three separate occasions, and her strength and determination was a testament to everyone around her that nothing is impossible with God. Constance and Richard Holden are parishioners at Most Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Hadley, where they have both actively served their church community.

First and foremost, Constance loved God and her family. She cherished hosting her extended family for the traditional Polish Wigilia on Christmas Eve, her family vacations to Cape Cod and traveling to new and exotic places with her husband. Constance and her husband Richard spent their honeymoon in Bermuda, returning there again to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They traveled together on European tours to Italy and Poland, cruises to Alaska and the Caribbean, trips to Canada, camping and cross-country ski trips throughout the northeast and even attended Super Bowl XXI at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA.

As a native of Chicopee, Constance was a proud graduate of Chicopee High School and later Greenfield Community College where she earned her degree in nursing. She worked in nursing throughout the Pioneer Valley and Franklin County until her retirement.

Constance's love of polka music and dancing proved instrumental in first meeting her husband Richard and kicking off their life-long love affair. In more recent years, Constance's musical taste expanded as she became a super-fan of Freddie Mercury and the music of Queen, reading everything she could find about Freddie and the band, and having her grandchildren often find her in the car or at home enthusiastically (and loudly) listening to each every one of their recordings. Constance also loved gardening and was especially fond of any flower that filled the warm spring and summer air with its sweet fragrance. She always brought a vase-full of cuttings from her collection of fragrant peonies when vacationing on Cape Cod in June and told her granddaughters that lavender's delicate and soft aroma is, "Heaven's Scent".

She is survived by her loving husband of 55 3/4 years, Richard Holden of Hadley, she also leaves three children and six grandchildren; her daughter Julianne (Holden) Patterson and her husband Jeremiah of South Deerfield, and their two daughters Melanie and Anna (Patterson) Paige along with Anna's husband Nathan; Richard Holden Jr. and his girlfriend Missy Duprat and her daughter Liv of East Longmeadow, and his two daughters Yvonne and Joie Holden; Jeffrey Holden and his wife Avis of Springfield, and their daughter Savannah and son Ricky. Constance is also survived by her siblings; Stephen Lak and his wife Kathleen of Ottawa Canada; Richard Lak and his wife Ann of Dover, NH; Christine Lak of Easthampton, Maryanne Lak Senecal of Chicopee, Theresa Lak and her husband Gary Iadarola of Essex, CT and numerous nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by her brother John Lak and her son Richard Jr.'s former wife Michelle (Laporte) Holden.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, January 31, 2025, from 4-6 PM at the DROZDAL FUNERAL HOME, 120 DAMON RD, NORTHAMPTON. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 10 AM at Most Holy Redeemer Church, Hadley. Burial will be in the Spring in Holy Rosary Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Constance's name to Most Holy Redeemer Parish, 120 Russell St., Hadley, MA 01035.

For more information, or to leave the family a personal condolence, please visit Drozdalfuneralhome.com.