Carmen Christine Garvey

A beacon of strength, endurance, survival, and love has gained her wings! Carmen Christine Garvey, 96, of Windsor, beloved wife for 74 years of Lawrence Garvey, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at her home. Born in Labyrinth, St. Mary, Jamaica, WI on April 10, 1929, daughter of the late Ralph and Doris (Williams) Allen, she was raised by an aunt in St. Ann, after her mother died when she was only five years old. Carmen and Lawrence married on April 12, 1951 in Colegate, St. Ann, Jamaica. Carmen worked tirelessly to support her family and always looked for opportunities to enhance her family's financial stability. In 1967, she came alone to the United States leaving her husband and children behind, seeking a better future for her children and future generations of her family. Her husband Lawrence joined her a year later and all the children quickly followed, making their new home in Hartford, CT. They later moved to Windsor in 1976, and their three daughters followed suit, all buying homes in Windsor themselves where they raised their own families. Carmen was the epitome of strength for her family and was a true survivor overcoming numerous obstacles that she faced in her life. After settling in the United States, Carmen returned to school earning her GED with honors and later took college courses at Capital Community College in Hartford. She became a licensed certified nurse's aide and later worked at The Travelers Insurance Company for many years in customer service. Carmen was strong-willed, resourceful, and very dedicated to her family, always finding opportunities for herself and for her children In her spare time, she enjoyed sewing, crocheting, embroidery, quilting, and any types of crafts which she lovingly used to decorate her home or gave away as gifts. A trained seamstress, she loved making dresses and clothes for her family and others in her neighborhood. Carmen loved tending to the flower gardens around her home, playing with her daughter's cats, and keeping up-to-date on all the latest developments in her children and grandchildren's lives. She was a talented baker and was well-known to her family and friends for her West Indian specialties including, Jamaican fruit cakes, rum pie, sweet potato pudding, coconut biscuit, Hawaiian dream cake, and butterfly angel cakes. Like everything else in her life, she honed her craft of baking and even made the wedding cakes for two of her daughter's wedding receptions. Most of all, Carmen will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who simply wanted the best for her family. She was very generous with everyone and supported her children and grandchildren as adults. A lifelong learner, she didn't shy away from new technologies especially if it meant giving her the ability to stay in touch with her family scattered around the United States and abroad. Until her death, she enjoyed emailing and updating her Facebook page and other social media. An Episcopalian throughout her life, Carmen was a longtime parishioner of St. Monica's Episcopal Church in Hartford. In her later years, she could not attend St.Monica's weekly services, but she frequently watched the services on Zoom. Each weekday, she watched Morning Eucharist services on television and never misses Jimmy Swaggart religious services on Sundays. She leaves to mourn her passing her loving husband, Lawrence Garvey who even at 99-years-old himself lovingly doted on Carmen until she took her last breath; three daughters, Jennie Dixon and her husband Lennox Miller, Winsome Barnaby and her husband Winston, and Audrey Peczka and her husband Paul all of Windsor; nine grandchildren, Lesley Dixon and her partner,Roger Elvy of West Orange, NJ, Andre Barnaby and his wife Shakiya of Windsor Locks, Tao Harris and his wife Shondell of Mattapan, MA, Lamar Flowers of Manchester, Shauntelle Barnaby of Windsor, Kyle Garvey of San Antonio, TX, Joel Garvey, Sr. of San Antonio, TX, Tyler Jennings-Peczka of Brooklyn, NY, and Dylan Peczka of Jersey City, NJ; nine great-grandchildren, Zoe Elvy, Morgan Barnaby, Carter Durham, Andre Barnaby II, Hunter Harris, Cameron Flowers, Cameron Garvey, Noah Garvey, and Bryson Garvey; 18 nieces and nephews; and a host of great-nieces and nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. She was predeceased by two sons, Orville Hugh Garvey in 2022 and an infant son in Jamaica, Harold Garvey; two brothers, Byron Allen and Calvin Tyson; and three sisters, Ina Wilson, Linnette Allen and Phyllis Allen. Her family will receive friends on Saturday, August 23, 9-10 a.m., followed by a Homegoing Service at 10 a.m., at The Lodge Community Chapel, 130 Deerfield Rd., Windsor. Burial will follow in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or by visiting, www.diabetes.org/donate. Carmon Windsor Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. For online condolences please visit, www.carmonfuneralhome.com.