Obituary of Mildred J. Shay

Mildred J. Shay, age 87 of Milford, beloved wife of Joseph V. Shay, died at St. Vincent's Medical Center on Saturday, December 9, 2017. Born in Bridgeport on November 15, 1930, Mildred was the daughter of the late Johan and Esther Gustafson Johnson. She grew up in Stratford and lived in Fairfield for more than 50 years. She was a graduate of Rodger Ludlowe High School and worked as a secretary at Bryant Electric before she became a full time homemaker and mother to their four children. She later worked at IMSA in Bridgeport, where she made lifelong friends before her retirement. Millie was an avid Yankees fan. She loved to solve the NY Times crossword puzzle (in ink) and never missed an episode of Jeopardy! She and her family spent more than 40 summer vacations in Misquamicut, Rhode Island. Millie was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend who will be truly missed by all who knew her. In addition to Joseph, her husband of 62 years, Millie is survived by her four children, Coleen (Art) Clark of Milford, Karen (George) Swift of Randolph, New Jersey, Lisa (George) Poland of Orange and Christopher (Annie) Shay of Trumbull; thirteen grandchildren, Michael and Ryan Clark, Karen Anton, Sean, Patrick, and Andrew Swift, Katharine, Elizabeth, and John Poland, Connor, Grace, and Nolan Shay and Emily Kiely; two great grandchildren Layne and Dylan; nieces and nephews, including her cherished niece Patricia Konecny, her best friend. Millie was predeceased by her parents and siblings, Helene LaCroix, Ruth Whitbread, and Carl Johnson. A funeral home service will take place on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 10:30AM in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull, CT 06611. Burial will follow at Lawncroft Cemetery in Fairfield. Friends may greet the family on Tuesday, December 12 from 5-8 PM in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Millie can be made to a charity of one's choice.