Mary C. Negri

NORTH CANAAN, Conn. — Mary was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts in Feb. 1933 and died Oct. 14, 2025. Mary spent her early life in the area. She later moved to North Canaan, Connecticut, where she met and married her future husband, John Joseph Negri. They raised their two children, Mary Ellen and Joseph, there.

Mary’s working life began early, starting on the family farm and later at Bitterman Electronics (subsequently known as Bicron). Soon after, she secured a position at the North Canaan Elementary School as one of its first teacher’s aides. During her time there, the role of teacher’s aide became such a valuable asset and resource for the elementary school that additional aides were hired in subsequent years.

After her husband’s untimely death in 1979, Mary knew she had to improve her circumstances. She applied for and accepted a position at Aetna Life and Casualty in their downtown Hartford corporate office. This required a grueling daily commute of over an hour each way in all kinds of weather, an uncommon feat for a Canaan resident, and a position she held for over 15 years.

As times changed, Mary returned to work in the local area at Berkshire Bank in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. She quickly became the go-to person for questions and advice, with customers asking for her by name even on the few days she wasn’t in the office. She finished her career there, working until she was in her late 70s.

On the home front, she kept a tidy and well-organized house. She was well known for her stellar border garden of poppies, irises, and morning glories, whose annual spring return was shared with the hummingbirds she fed. Beyond her domestic and gardening pursuits, Mary was an avid sports enthusiast. She was a keen UCONN Huskies women’s basketball fan long before the team gained its current popularity. Her loyalty to the Bruins and Yankees rounded out her sporting interests. Mary was also active in the Catholic Church at St. Joseph’s in Canaan—she served as the parish’s first Eucharistic minister, was a member of the Daughters of Isabella, and was often seen greeting guests at the church’s community dinners.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday October 25, 2025, at 11:00 am at St. Martin of Tours Parish, St. Joseph Church, 4 Main St. North Canaan, CT 06018.Burial will follow the mass in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cemetery Road,North Canaan, CT 06018.Family and friends are invited to meet Mary’s family on Saturday morning at the Newkirk-Palmer Funeral Home 118 Main St. North Canaan, CT from 10:00 a.m. -10:40 a.m.