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Theresa Goguen Offredi

Theresa “Terry” Goguen Offredi (1930–2024), of East Haven and a long-time resident of Guilford, was a passionate and generous woman who put her family first. She enjoyed her children and grandchildren immensely. While strong and resilient, Terry had boundless energy and a youthful spirit. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, traveling, and entertaining. As an intelligent and independent thinker, she had a strategic mind and always came up with a solution to a problem. Her positive outlook, coupled with her strength and stoicism, helped her navigate challenges throughout her life.

Terry was born Oct. 3, 1930, in Rumford, Maine, to August and Juliana (Gallant) Goguen. The youngest of eight children, she and her family moved to Fitchburg, Massachusetts, when she was five years old. Terry graduated from St. Bernard’s High School in 1949 and then enrolled at Fitchburg Teacher’s College where she paid for her tuition by working at the Ben Franklin Five-and-Dime Store and other establishments.

Upon graduation, Terry accepted an offer to teach fourth grade at Calvin Leete Elementary School in Guilford. This decision proved to be a pivotal one in her life. One of her students, John, encouraged her to meet his older brother, Gene. One Sunday morning, while she was walking home from St. George’s Church in the rain, Gene, 13 years older than John, picked her up and drove her home. Terry and Gene soon thereafter went on their first date, which included seeing “Kiss Me Kate” in Madison, followed by a night of dancing at the Griswold Inn in Essex. The two of them danced together so naturally; it was as if they had known each other their whole lives.

On July 28, 1956, Terry and Gene were married, and they started their life together in Guilford. Their first two children, Sheila and Matthew, were born in the early years of their marriage. Motherhood came naturally to Terry who seemed to have wisdom beyond her years. When they reached school age, Terry resumed her teaching career and taught at Jerome Harrison School in North Branford. Later in life, when she and Gene had their third child, Cynthia, she started to paint. While she tried different mediums, she preferred painting with oil. She took numerous classes and traveled with art groups to various places. Around her 85th birthday, she planned her own exhibit at the Guilford Library.

Besides painting, Terry, along with Gene, were avid gardeners and planted about sixty tomato plants every year. Terry became known as “the tomato lady” at St. George’s Church as she shared her bountiful crop with many. Another passion of hers was to find “treasures” at local estate and tag sales. The family was amazed at the choice items she would pick up. She and Gene also hosted their own tag sale each year. In her typical fashion, Terry would meticulously clean each item and present them beautifully with classical music playing when shoppers arrived. Tomatoes were for sale and tours of the vegetable garden were given.

Food was important to Terry; she was an amazing cook and often tried new recipes. As a gregarious couple, they enjoyed entertaining. Polenta parties were a favorite when family and friends stood around the kitchen and got an arm workout stirring the polenta.

The couple traveled throughout Europe and especially enjoyed Italy and France. Their 2011 trip to Israel with St. George’s parish was particularly meaningful. They created wonderful memories camping in their pop up trailer with their children. As family was important to her, Terry would organize reunions with her siblings and their children in Massachusetts every summer.

Terry passed Aug. 4, 2024, as she held the hand of Gene, the love of her life. While she fought breast cancer for 32 years, her disease was fortunately in the background, not the foreground, of her life for most of those years.

Terry was predeceased by her parents and her seven siblings, Edmund, Rene, Rita, Edna, Clarence, Alec and Gerard.

She is survived by her beloved husband, Gene; her daughter, Sheila Kimball and husband, Donald; her son, Matthew Offredi and wife, Dayna; her daughter, Cynthia Pennington and husband, Andrew; as well as four grandchildren, Alexander Offredi and wife Nivi, Olivia Offredi, Luke and Emily Pennington; and one great-grandson, Austin Offredi. Terry is also survived by her brother-in-law, John Offredi and wife, Christine; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, at Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, at St. George’s Catholic Church, 33 Whitfield Street in Guilford. Burial to follow in St. George’s Cemetery, Hubbard Road, Guilford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Closer to Free Fund, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven PO Box 1849, New Haven, CT 06508-9979; https://www.rideclosertofree.org/ A special thank you to the team at Smilow, CT Hospice, the Village of Mariner’s Point and Enhabit. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com