Grace Nowak

December 2, 1930 – January 24, 2026

Leila Grace (Wood) Nowak, 95, of Mansfield, CT, passed away peacefully on January 24th, 2026, after a stroke. Known her entire life as “Grace,” she was previously a resident of Windham Center, CT for over 40 years. Grace was born on December 2nd, 1930, in Rockholds, KY. She was born the daughter of a tobacco sharecropper and was the eighth of nine children.

After graduating from high school, Grace left Kentucky for Washington, DC to attend the FBI’s Fingerprint Identification School. She worked as a fingerprint expert for eight years. During that time, her claim to fame was visually identifying the fingerprint of an FBI Most Wanted criminal, for which she received a commendation from FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover himself.

It was in DC that Grace met and married Edward, her beloved husband of 63 years. And it was in Virginia that Ed and Grace began raising their three children. As a stay-at-home mother, Grace was a part-time Avon Cosmetics Representative in Arlington, VA. As was the custom of the early 1960s, she often shared “tea” with her customers in their homes, including the wives of John Glenn (first American astronaut to orbit the earth), Hubert Humphrey (vice president under President Lyndon B. Johnson), and several US Senators and Representatives.

In 1966, the family moved to Windham Center, CT. While there, she was employed for 25 years at Mansfield Training School, working with people with disabilities.

Grace was a passionate Christian and a longtime active member of the First United Methodist Church of Mansfield. She served the church in many capacities through the years, right up until her death. Grace was also a breast cancer and malignant melanoma survivor and captain of her church Relay for Life team. For a few of those years, she received the Top Fundraising Individual Award for the whole event. One year she gave the “survivor” speech during the opening ceremony of the Windham Area Relay for Life.

Grace and her husband loved traveling around the US and the world. Her favorite destinations were China, Poland, and Hawaii. Her real passion, however, was gardening. She was known for her ability to create beautiful gardens to delight all. She also enjoyed sharing her plants and knowledge with others so they could have a garden of their own to love.

Grace loved to walk and even two weeks ago someone may have noticed her “wheeling” her walker around her neighborhood. And anytime the UConn women played basketball, everyone knew not to call her; she would be “glued” to the TV enjoying all the wins. Grace was also a “lifelong learner,” getting her first smart phone at 92 (during covid) and learning to FaceTime and text with family and friends. She read two newspapers daily and her TV during the day was always tuned to the news.

Grace was a friend to every person she met. That woman loved to talk! She had a great sense of humor and was always kind and loving. She was beloved by all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as their friends and families. On top of always bringing joy to any get-together, she would never turn down a toast of Fireball Whiskey at family events because she said she was “immune” to it. Mom, what would we give to have one more toast with you! You will be missed forever!

She is survived by her daughter Carol Ploch and husband Peter of Apex, NC; her daughter Anita Kalenauskas of Waterbury, CT; and her son Steve Nowak and wife Susanne of Windham Center, CT. She was so proud of her seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. They brought her great joy: Amanda (Ploch) Brumfield and husband Ryan; Eric Ploch and wife Mary Beth; Emily Kalenauskas and partner Dustin Goodwin; John Kalenauskas; Michael Nowak; Andrew Nowak and wife Dannielle; and Ryan Nowak. Her sweet great-grandchildren are Nora and Ava Brumfield, Vivienne and Declan Ploch, and Nathalie and Ellaria Nowak.

The family is so grateful for the friendship, support, comfort, and love shown to our mother, especially the last two years, by her neighbors Eva, Paul, Irene, Emily, Katie, Carla, Kay, and Qian. A special thank you goes to Pat Kearns who was Grace’s hairdresser, friend, and honorary daughter for over 50 years. The family is appreciative to the staff of Windham Hospital, Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation, and the Hartford Healthcare Hospice team for the excellent care and comfort they gave our mother over the last six days of her life.

Graces’s family will receive relative and friends on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St., Willimantic. Her funeral service will be held on Wednesday, February 4, 2026 at 10;00am at the United Methodist Church, 29 Puddin Lane, Mansfield Center. burial to follow at Windham Center Cemetery, Windham Center. In lieu of flowers, it is Grace’s special request that any memorial donations be made to the American Cancer Society.