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 Estelle Marie Kucich, 82
 May 03, 2013
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Estelle Marie Kucich, 82, of Williamstown died on Friday, May 3, 2013, in the company of her husband and children in Rancho Mirage, Calif., after a long struggle with pneumonia.
Born in Danielson, Conn., daughter and second child of Louis Woisard Sr., a lawyer, and Beatrice Lafrance Woisard, a nurse, she was part of a large extended family with French Canadian roots. Her grandfather Urgele Lafrance, of Central Village, founded the Lafrance Beverage Co. She lost her mother in childhood, but remembered her years in Danielson as idyllic, full of family and friends and highlighted by summers in Quonochontaug on the Rhode Island shore.
She graduated second in her class from Killingly High School in Dayville, Conn., and attended Wells College in Aurora, N.Y., where she flourished. Known as "Wizzy" to her many friends, she majored in sociology and graduated in 1953.
After graduating, Mrs. Kucich worked at New York Life Insurance Co. in New York City. She met her husband, John J. Kucich Sr., while living Tarrytown, N.Y., and the couple married in 1959.
While her husband pursued a career in the alcoholic beverages industry, she raised their two children; she also spent many years caring for her father after a stroke left him paralyzed. The family lived in Chappaqua, N.Y.; Lake Forest, Ill.; and Ridgefield, Conn. For the last 20 years, they lived in Williamstown and spent winters in Rancho Mirage.
Mrs. Kucich is remembered by family and friends for her sunny optimism, her unfailing kindness and her warm generosity. She became an accomplished cook, hosting large family gatherings, especially at Thanksgiving, for some 40 years, and was never happier than when welcoming family and friends to her table.
She particularly enjoyed Broadway musicals, an interest cultivated by her own love of the piano and her close relationship with her uncle Louis Lafrance, partner of the lyricist Edward Heyman.
She was also a doting aunt who took great pleasure in sending off birthday gifts to her many nieces and nephews. She was an avid reader and an active follower of politics; she also developed into a studious and sharp-eyed investor. She was a devout Roman Catholic throughout her life and for many years eagerly volunteered in local schools, food pantries and church fundraisers. She loved dogs and animals of all kinds and greatly enjoyed museums, plays and concerts. Her children remember her most as an unfailingly supportive and loving parent with a clear moral compass. Her grandchildren remember her for her delight in their visits and her brimming stash of chocolate chip cookies.
Besides her husband, she leaves her daughter, Margo Lancia of Bedford, N.Y.; her son, John Kucich Jr. of Maynard; her brother, Louis Woisard Jr. of Mystic, Conn., and her grandchildren, Nicholas, Alexander, Christopher and Michael.
FUNERAL NOTICE — A Mass in Mrs. Kucich's memory will be held on Saturday, May 18, at 11:30 at St. Patrick's Church in Williamstown. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Berkshire Food Project in care of Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247.
John and family,
You have my most sincere sympathy for your loss of such a wonderful woman | | from: Jeff Polucci | on: 05-10-2013 |
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