Ann G. Duffy, 89, of Broad Brook passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 28, 2016. She was born August 6, 1927 in Hartford to the late Edward B. and Gertrude (Pfeiffer) Duffy, and lived on the same street in Broad Brook, Connecticut, her entire life. Ann was a proud graduate and valedictorian of Ellsworth Memorial High School, Class of 1944, where she played field hockey, basketball and softball. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with an undergraduate and graduate degree in mathematics, where she also played field hockey and basketball. Upon graduation, she worked at the United Technologies Corporation Research Department, but teaching was her true calling. She returned to Ellsworth Memorial High School to begin what became a 35 year career teachingmathematics. When the Ellsworth Memorial High School became South Windsor High School, she chaired the Math Department there for 20 years. She taught selflessly and tirelessly, with thorough attention and enjoyment, and was interested inall her students. She introduced computers in classrooms, implemented major changes in the curriculum for grades 7-12 for five different levels of math, and authored math textbooks that were used nationwide by algebra students. She published a chart to aid in the study of math that was widely circulated to school systems. Because of her earnest dedication, she received the Capital Area Distinguished Teacher Award in 1968 and “Master Teacher” status at South Windsor High School in 1984. She was a visiting lecturer at the Computer Programming Institute for Teachers at Trinity College, Associate Director of Mathematics for the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS), Instructor in the Educational Studies Graduate Program and Teacher Associate in the Mathematics Department at Wesleyan University. In 2013, she was among the first inductees into the South Windsor Hall of Fame. Ann was full of enthusiasm for encouraging people to grow and learn, with one student remarking that she made “it so exciting I can’t help but be enthusiastic about math!” Although Ann was the epitome of professionalism, she had personal interests as well that were very important to her. She enjoyed skiing and biking, being the family historian and photographer, and travelling, whether it was going to Maine with her mother, to Guatemala or Florida with friends, or Wisconsin or Ireland to visit relatives. In her retirement, Ann annually visited Block Island with her sister and her niece, where they would bicycle the entire island almost every day. She maintained an active schedule, gardening, annually picking apples, blueberries, strawberries and peaches and growing raspberries (and making pies),attending plays and local musicals, and always watching or attending the UConn Women’s Basketball games and the victory parades, and would read the Hartford Courant daily front page through the sports section. She volunteered for many organizations, including St. Catherine’s Church. She continued to tutor and teach, most recently looking forward to visits with her littlest pupil and neighbor, SibbieBacigalupo, who would put a sparkle in her eyes, enjoying the cookies and ice cream. Ann is survived by her loving sister, Mary Catino, and her husband, Theodore, of Broad Brook; her niece and often travel companion, Ann Marie Catino; her attentive nephew, Paul Catino and his wife Isabelle; her cousins, her students, especially longtime prize student, Cliff Lange,who became a valued, thoughtful and most kind friend, who returned numerous times to have cherished visits with her over the years, and many other friends. When asked by Cliff to describe her life story in 6 words, she once said “straight ahead, straight ahead, straight ahead.” She is now moving straight ahead, with dignity, grace and her wonderful, inescapable force of personality,as she now enjoys the joyous peace with God, rejoining her beloved parents and her friends who have predeceased her. Ann passed after suffering a brief illness, and the family would like to thank the staff of the Village of Buckland Court, St. Francis Hospital and Saint Mary’s Home for the kind and attentive care they provided her. Relatives and friends may join the family from 3pm – 6 pm on Monday, January 2, 2017 at Bassinger & Dowd Funeral Home, 37 Gardner St., East Windsor. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 12:00 pm at St. Catherine Church, Broad Brook. Burial will follow at St. Catherine Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Ann’s name to St. Catherine’s Church stained glass window fund, the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal or the East Windsor Historical Society. For online condolences please visit www.pietrasfuneralhome.com
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