Mae (Moriarty) Busse

Mae Moriarty Busse died at home surrounded by family April 4,2018. Born May 17, 1928 the seventh of eight children to Viola Josephine Gergler Moriarty and Thomas Henry Moriarty in Coventry, CT, living to be just six weeks shy of her 90th birthday.  Mae is survived by three children, Catharine Makinster of MA, Frank Busse and Sharon Roberts (Keith Lyons) of CT.  Some of their favorite memories are the aromas of home-made baked breads for toasting, warm banana nut bread, and being sung to sleep by Mom and Dad while Dad played guitar. Thanksgiving was always a wonderful holiday when Mae's parents would visit every year bringing suitcases filled with pies. Mae's mom would be in charge of cooking the turkey, and everyone would play fiercely competitive card games while the smell of turkey and stuffing filled the home. After dinner, everyone climbed the hill behind their home to collect huge bags of running evergreen for Mae's mother to use to make Christmas wreaths. 

Mae loved singing, dancing, ice skating, and swimming, spending much of her teen years at Willington Pond where she lived nearby.  She often sang and harmonized with her late husband, Frank Busse, to whom she was married for 40 years.  She and Frank traveled to Ireland where Mae was proud to say she had kissed the Blarney stone.  In later years, Mae and her sister-in-law, Ruth Nik, traveled to Florida and Greece, as well as traveling many times to Hawaii.  Other favorite stories include the infamous Memorial Day picnics with Mary and Charlie Busse, so often in the rain.  One special picnic was the year Mae forgot the hotdogs.  Mae and Mary returned to Mae’s house only to find it locked.  Mae had also forgotten her house key, so she and Mary had to negotiate climbing in through the bathroom window. 

Mae worked at the Storrs Post Office for thirty years where she was nicknamed "Irish". Mae was known for her love of all things Irish and green despite being half German. She loved working at the PO, and made friends from all over the world.  Special friends Makoto and Reiko Takada from Japan visited her in CT often after she retired.  Everywhere she went people would approach her saying they remembered her from the PO.  

Mae is survived by seven grandchildren:  Christopher Busse (Jennifer Tatro), Nicholas Busse (Barbara Rua), Heather Arvanitis (Efthimios), Erin Busse, Kelley Green(Jay), Justin Roberts (Becky), Nicholas Makinster (Rachiny Samek) and eleven great grandchildren Zachary and Kierra Busse, Hattie Rua Busse, Efthimios (Mikie) and Mikaela Arvanitis, Kevin, Harmony, Anthony, and Amelia Coles, Efthimios (Mikie) and Mikaela Arvanitis, Levi Green, and Dani Shea Roberts. Favorite Mae stories include trips to Rhode Island with Nick Busse for his favorite clam fritters.  Erin remembers long talks with Grammie, and fiercely fought games of Rummy.  Kelley remembers Grammie's ready response to any compliment. "I'm pretty, too."  Heather remembers going up to Grammie's with Kelley to play croquet in the summer.  Justin remembers Grammie's fried chicken legs made just for him. The best story, however, was Christopher's story; Grammie was very proud when her first grandchild was born and went with Grampie to visit him in California.  She took him in the bedroom to change his cloth diaper.  She removed the pins and stuck them in the bed.  Unbeknownst to her, it was a water bed. Puddles greeted evening guests. Grammie loved that story and retold it many times herself.

Mae was predeceased by her son, Danny, and her husband Francis Lockwood Busse.  We think of Mae now as at peace with Frank and Danny.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ashford School Activity Fund.

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