Margit Petro

Margit (Kish) Petro, a native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and long-time resident of Fairfield, spent the past 8 years of her life in Willimantic. In December of 2007, Margit took residence in St. Joseph's Living Center, where she passed away peacefully on April 3, 2009. She was the mother of Marjorie Petro, MD, Barbara Lyon of Fairfield, and Kenneth Petro of Middletown, Delaware. Born on May 11, 1917, the only child of Hungarian immigrants Joseph and Sophie Kish, she spent her childhood in Bridgeport, traveling as a young woman to Hungary, where she met and married Stephen (Istvan) in the village of Nyiribrony, who predeceased her after 64 years of marriage. The couple made their home in Bridgeport for many years and were proprietors of a neighborhood Mom & Pop grocery store. Throughout her life, Margit delighted in knitting, crocheting, and embroidering both practical items of clothing, baby blankets, and the like, as well as decorative pieces for family and friends. She was an avid Bingo player, a hobby she continued to pursue when she moved to Willimantic as a regular player at the French Club and at St. Joseph's Hall and, notably, with St. Joseph's recreation program on the last full day of her life-she won the final game! Soon after moving to Willimantic, she contracted Husky fever and faithfully watched the UConn Women's basketball games. Margit and Stephen reveled in their 6 grandchildren: Bobbi Falasco, Bethany Lyon, Kristen Petro, Tricia Rifino, Joshua Petro, and Ashley Petro; and 4 great-grandchildren: Jared Currie, 21; Brynn Margit Rifino, 6; Carl D. Rifino, 4; and Ella Diane Petro, 3. Also surviving Margit are daughter-in-law Pat Petro, grandsons-in-law John Falasco and Carl Rifino, granddaughter-in-law Sarah Petro, and several nieces and nephews in Hungary. Margit's family will receive friends at Potter Funeral Home 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic on Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 pm with services beginning at 6:30pm. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the End-of-Life Suite fund at St. Joseph's Living Center, 14 Club Road, Windham, Connecticut 06280. For online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .