Ila Bridget Barton

Ila Bridget Barton
Ila Bridget Barton, age 50, of Norwalk, Connecticut (formerly of Redding), passed away unexpectedly at her home on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Ila was the daughter of Carolyn (Pratt) Barton and the late Cornelius Barton. From an early age, she demonstrated an innate compassion and resilience that would come to define the way she lived her life and cared for others.
Ila earned her degree from Florida Atlantic University and dedicated her professional life to social work, where she spent more than two decades advocating for individuals and families facing adversity. She worked across a wide range of communities, supporting children, seniors, survivors of trauma, and people with disabilities. Her clients, colleagues, and friends all knew her as someone who could see people not just as they were, but as they could be-with dignity, strength, and hope.
In addition to her career in social services, Ila gave back through education, serving as a trustee for Storm King School, the college preparatory boarding school she once attended. She believed deeply in the power of education to transform lives and was proud to support the school's mission and future.
Ila lived life with uncommon vibrance and warmth. She was a seeker of beauty-drawn to the natural world, especially the ocean. She adored dolphins, the moon, and the sound of waves crashing on the shore. The beach was her sacred space, and she traveled as often as she could to be near the water. Whether it was at the beach at Norwalk, Connecticut, the rocky New England coast, or a quiet Florida beach, she found joy and peace in salty air and sunlit tides.
Those who knew Ila will remember her laugh-bright and contagious-and her gift for making every gathering feel more alive. She had a unique ability to bring calm to chaos and to lift up others with her kindness, insight, and irreverent humor. She made every situation better simply by being present.
Ila is survived by her mother, Carolyn; her sister Kathleen and brother-in-law Brian Conway, and their children Keira, Meghan, Clare, Brian Jr., and Tanner; her brother Michael and sister-in-law Shari Barton, and their sons Alex (and his wife Eman) and Lucas; and her brother Terence Barton. She was predeceased by her father, Cornelius Barton.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 27, at Ripka's Beach Café in Norwalk from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Guests are encouraged to come as Ila would have wanted-relaxed, in casual beach attire, ready to share stories and smiles in her memory. All other arrangements will be private and held by her family.
In honor of Ila's enduring love for the ocean and her commitment to protecting our planet, donations in her memory may be made to the Surfrider Foundation at www.surfrider.org.