Obituary of Dolores Marie Micinilio

Dolores M. Micinilio, 85, (affectionately known as "Mrs. M.") passed away peacefully March 23, 2018 surrounded by her devoted family after a courageous battle with cancer. She was a lifelong resident of Bridgeport and the devoted wife of the late James M. Micinilio. Mrs. M. was the youngest daughter of the late Stanislaw and Rozalia Kerrnosek Samsel, formally of Bridgeport. Mrs. M. is survived by her brother Stephen Samsel and his wife Dorothy of Fairfield, her sons and their families: Dr. James P. Micinilio and Susan Monarca of Stratford, Gregg A. Micinilio of Derby, Patrick P. and Kathleen Micinilio of Trumbull, her treasured grandsons Sam, Ben, Ty and Max, many nieces, nephews, friends and Leanne Plein Micinilio of Israel. Her niece Alice McLaine was always by her side throughout her many hospital stays. In addition to her parents she was predeceased by her brothers Joseph and Anthony Samsel, her sisters Sr. Mary Ancilla, Rose Andrechak, Sophia (Clara) Cooper, Victoria Chormanski, Sr. Mary Rayneld, and most recently her beloved son Michael A. Micinilio. She was a 1950 graduate of Harding High School, Bridgeport and received her Degree of Nursing from the University Of Connecticut School Of Nursing in 1955. Mrs. M. had an extensive nursing career, including positions at Holbrook Psychiatric Hospital in Westport, CT, the American Hospital in Rome, Italy, and private duty nursing jobs in Europe. She was the Head Nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Her most coveted position was at the new St. Vincent's Hospital in Bridgeport, where she was the first Head Nurse of the Intensive Care Unit. Mrs. M.took a several year sabbatical from nursing to raise her sons. She resumed her career working as a part-time nurse at The Dinan Center in Bridgeport, working as a visiting nurse with Family Services Woodfield, and working as a health evaluator at Met Life Insurance Company, before she retired. Mrs. M. was always involved in her sons' activities, including being one of the first female scouting leaders in Fairfield County. She was also one of the first docents at the Beardsley Zoological Gardens and was a lifelong booster of the zoo. Her deep love of nature and compassion for animals was passed on to her children; countless numbers of pets and wild creatures resided in her Bridgeport home. A true renaissance woman, she was a frequent patron of the opera, symphony, art galleries, theater and cinema. She also had a passion for women's basketball and was a rabid UConn Husky fan, and actually attended the semi-final game of the AAC Tournament. A life-long learner, Mrs. M. was always reading a new book or taking a course in subjects ranging from speaking the Polish language to Civil War Studies. While Mrs. M. loved to learn, she also knew the importance of helping others in her community. As an active volunteer in her church, Our Lady of Assumption, Mrs. M. could always be counted on to make the baked goods and collect donations for the September Fest. Never losing her nursing cap, she could be found doing blood pressure screenings for her fellow parishioners following a Sunday mass. When she wasn't fulfilling her civic duties, Mrs. M. loved to travel near and far. She rarely missed out on a senior citizen traveling excursion with her friends, and extended her voyages around the globe, having visited far away destinations such as Alaska, Russia, Peru (with her son James), and Italy (with her late husband). In her later years, she picked up the hobby of genealogy, and she scored a personal triumph when she found her mother's birth notice in an old church ledger while on her final visit to Poland. A true matriarch, Mrs M.'s pride and joy was her family, and she kept them close, even as they grew older and created their own families. Pasta Night was a Thursday night tradition in her household, and failure to attend on time without a valid excuse could result in receiving the "stink eye" from Mrs. M.; nonetheless, she would always have a warm dish waiting. Over a plate of homemade sauce and meatballs, vacation plans were discussed, homework was reviewed, and uncles collaborated with their nephews to design art projects that were up to Micinilio standards. Pasta dinners were also the time that her grandsons would put in their requests for Mrs. M.'s homemade Halloween costumes or the design of their next birthday cake. There was always room at her dinner table for friends of the family and neighbors. Mrs. M. loved to share her sauce and meatballs, her homemade desserts, and her home-grown figs from her backyard tree. The Micinilio family would like to offer their heartfelt thanks to all who visited Mrs. M. and prayed for her and to all the compassionate doctors and nurses at Swim Across the Sound Cancer Center and St Vincent's Hospital who took excellent care of her throughout her illness. Most of all, the family would like to thank Dr. Sandhya Dhanjal who gave them the greatest gift of all- more time with Mrs. M. Friends and family are invited to attend calling hours on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Abriola Parkview Funeral Home, 419 White Plains Road, Trumbull. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Our Lady of Assumption Church, 545 Stratfield Road, Fairfield on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow the Mass in St John's Cemetery, Monroe. Donations in memory of Dolores can be made to The Swim Across the Sound Foundation, c/o St Vincent's Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, CT 06606.