Eileen (Kelly) Guarco, 87, of East Granby, beloved wife for 65 years of Michael Bruno Guarco, Sr., passed away peacefully on Monday, March 14, 2022, at Hartford Hospital. Born in Pittsfield, MA on June 30, 1934, daughter of the late Vincent Emmett and Blanche (Cowens) Kelly, she was raised in Springfield, MA and was a graduate of Cathedral High School, Class of 1952. Eileen’s father, a professional pianist, passed away when she was two and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. After high school, Eileen continued her education at Elms College where she majored in education. Eileen loved languages and studying different cultures and also studied, Spanish, French, and Latin. Being multilingual, Eileen loved traveling and always looked forward to her next trip abroad. While she was at Elms College, Eileen attended a square dance at the Bishop O’Leary Social Center where she met Michael Guarco. The young couple married in 1957 and moved to Granby. Eileen worked as a teacher at Southwick Elementary School and after starting a family she left to help her husband with his oil business as a bookkeeper. Eileen loved her family, her pets, her community, and her church. She bowled with her husband for many years at Simsbury Lanes and enjoyed going to concerts, musicals, and plays. She loved to travel and took many memorable trips including a trip to Ireland for her 80th birthday, a family vacation to Monte Carlo, and many trips to Italy to visit her husband’s family. Most of all, Eileen loved hosting her family and friends for get togethers at her home. She loved decorating for every holiday and enjoyed spending winters at her home in Venice, FL and summers at her cottage on Cape Cod in Hyannis, MA. Eileen loved all animals but especially loved her cats, Fluffy, Romeo I, Romeo II, and Scooter. A devout Catholic throughout her life, she was a member of St. Therese Parish in Granby and attended Mass at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, FL and at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hyannis, MA. Besides her husband, she leaves five children, Michael Guarco, Jr. and his wife Judy, Alan Guarco, Mary Anne Guarco, Brian Guarco and his wife Anne, and John Guarco and his wife Karen all of Granby; five grandchildren, Anna Guarco of Granby, Peter Guarco and his wife Hannah of Burlington, VT, Lila Guarco and her husband Stephen Hoppi, Jr. of East Hartland, Brieana Watson and her husband Nicholas of Granby, and Nicholette Guarco of Granby; six great-grandchildren, Brodie and Isabella Cheney, John and Celia Guarco, Stephen Hoppi, III, and Vincenzo Watson; her sister-in-law, Dorina Konopka of Washington, DC; her nephew, David A. Guarco and his wife Jewels of Granby; two special cousins, Ellen Guarco of Hartford, CT and Carl Guarco of Granby, CT; and numerous cousins in the Greater Springfield, MA area and she looked forward to the birth of another great grand son in August. Besides her parents, she was predeceased by a grandson, Michael Bruno Guarco, III. Her family will receive friends on Sunday, March 20, 3-6 p.m., at the Hayes-Huling & Carmon Funeral Home, 364 Salmon Brook St., Granby. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Celebrated on Monday, March 21, 11 a.m., at St. Therese Parish, 120 West Granby Rd. (Route 20), Granby. Burial will follow in Granby Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Granby Ambulance Association, 1 Pegville Rd., Granby, CT 06035. For online condolences please visit, www.carmonfuneralhome.com.
Published by Hartford Courant on Mar. 18, 2022.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the
