Mary Helena Gatti was the second of Effie Grippo and Domenick Gatti's five surviving children. She was born in Scranton, Lackawanna, PA. Mary attended William Prescott Elemetary and completed her junior year at Technical High School in Scranton. In June 1931 Mary received her first holy Communion at St. Rocco Italian Catholic church in Dunmore, PA just up the street from her maternal grandparents, Frank and Maria Grippo.
Her family relocated to Bristol, CT in October 1940 during her senior year. She graduated from Bristol High School in 1941 while working at Whalen's Drug Store where she continued to work for a time after graduation. At the outbreak of WWII, Mary went to work in the quality control group of Wallace Barnes Company which was making precision springs for aircraft engines.
During this time she met a young man from Texas who was in the Naval flight training program at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. They continued dating while Roy attended Midshipmen School at Columbia University in New York. They married March 10, 1945, two days after Roy received his Navy commission. Mary and Roy then traveled to Texas where she met his family for the first time. Roy reported to the Dallas Naval Air Station to continue his training. Their next stop was Pensacola Naval Air Station then on to Banana River Naval Air Station. There were times of separation while Roy was in the Pacific with the Naval Air Transport Service.
They settled in Texas when Roy separated from the Navy, living in Fort Worth, Arlington, Waco, Tyler, San Antonio and Dallas on three occasions. She enjoyed a career in residential real estate sales in Dallas during the 1960s and early 1970s working with the Frances Powell, Ebby Halliday and Jean O'Malley realtors.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvira "Effie" Grippo Gatti and Domenick Gatti; sister, Theresa Ann Gatti Pieri; and brothers, Philip John Gatti and Robert Lee Gatti, all of Bristol, Conn. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, three children, seven grandsons and one sister.
Mary was a fiercely devoted mother as well as a loving wife, sister and friend. True to her Italian roots, she loved gathering the family for meals. Nothing gave her greater joy than her children and grandchildren.
Her family relocated to Bristol, CT in October 1940 during her senior year. She graduated from Bristol High School in 1941 while working at Whalen's Drug Store where she continued to work for a time after graduation. At the outbreak of WWII, Mary went to work in the quality control group of Wallace Barnes Company which was making precision springs for aircraft engines.
During this time she met a young man from Texas who was in the Naval flight training program at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. They continued dating while Roy attended Midshipmen School at Columbia University in New York. They married March 10, 1945, two days after Roy received his Navy commission. Mary and Roy then traveled to Texas where she met his family for the first time. Roy reported to the Dallas Naval Air Station to continue his training. Their next stop was Pensacola Naval Air Station then on to Banana River Naval Air Station. There were times of separation while Roy was in the Pacific with the Naval Air Transport Service.
They settled in Texas when Roy separated from the Navy, living in Fort Worth, Arlington, Waco, Tyler, San Antonio and Dallas on three occasions. She enjoyed a career in residential real estate sales in Dallas during the 1960s and early 1970s working with the Frances Powell, Ebby Halliday and Jean O'Malley realtors.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvira "Effie" Grippo Gatti and Domenick Gatti; sister, Theresa Ann Gatti Pieri; and brothers, Philip John Gatti and Robert Lee Gatti, all of Bristol, Conn. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, three children, seven grandsons and one sister.
Mary was a fiercely devoted mother as well as a loving wife, sister and friend. True to her Italian roots, she loved gathering the family for meals. Nothing gave her greater joy than her children and grandchildren.
Mary Helena Gatti was the second of Effie Grippo and Domenick Gatti's five surviving children. She was born in Scranton, Lackawanna, PA. Mary attended William Prescott Elemetary and completed her junior year at Technical High School in Scranton. In June 1931 Mary received her first holy Communion at St. Rocco Italian Catholic church in Dunmore, PA just up the street from her maternal grandparents, Frank and Maria Grippo.
Her family relocated to Bristol, CT in October 1940 during her senior year. She graduated from Bristol High School in 1941 while working at Whalen's Drug Store where she continued to work for a time after graduation. At the outbreak of WWII, Mary went to work in the quality control group of Wallace Barnes Company which was making precision springs for aircraft engines.
During this time she met a young man from Texas who was in the Naval flight training program at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. They continued dating while Roy attended Midshipmen School at Columbia University in New York. They married March 10, 1945, two days after Roy received his Navy commission. Mary and Roy then traveled to Texas where she met his family for the first time. Roy reported to the Dallas Naval Air Station to continue his training. Their next stop was Pensacola Naval Air Station then on to Banana River Naval Air Station. There were times of separation while Roy was in the Pacific with the Naval Air Transport Service.
They settled in Texas when Roy separated from the Navy, living in Fort Worth, Arlington, Waco, Tyler, San Antonio and Dallas on three occasions. She enjoyed a career in residential real estate sales in Dallas during the 1960s and early 1970s working with the Frances Powell, Ebby Halliday and Jean O'Malley realtors.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvira "Effie" Grippo Gatti and Domenick Gatti; sister, Theresa Ann Gatti Pieri; and brothers, Philip John Gatti and Robert Lee Gatti, all of Bristol, Conn. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, three children, seven grandsons and one sister.
Mary was a fiercely devoted mother as well as a loving wife, sister and friend. True to her Italian roots, she loved gathering the family for meals. Nothing gave her greater joy than her children and grandchildren.
Her family relocated to Bristol, CT in October 1940 during her senior year. She graduated from Bristol High School in 1941 while working at Whalen's Drug Store where she continued to work for a time after graduation. At the outbreak of WWII, Mary went to work in the quality control group of Wallace Barnes Company which was making precision springs for aircraft engines.
During this time she met a young man from Texas who was in the Naval flight training program at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. They continued dating while Roy attended Midshipmen School at Columbia University in New York. They married March 10, 1945, two days after Roy received his Navy commission. Mary and Roy then traveled to Texas where she met his family for the first time. Roy reported to the Dallas Naval Air Station to continue his training. Their next stop was Pensacola Naval Air Station then on to Banana River Naval Air Station. There were times of separation while Roy was in the Pacific with the Naval Air Transport Service.
They settled in Texas when Roy separated from the Navy, living in Fort Worth, Arlington, Waco, Tyler, San Antonio and Dallas on three occasions. She enjoyed a career in residential real estate sales in Dallas during the 1960s and early 1970s working with the Frances Powell, Ebby Halliday and Jean O'Malley realtors.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Elvira "Effie" Grippo Gatti and Domenick Gatti; sister, Theresa Ann Gatti Pieri; and brothers, Philip John Gatti and Robert Lee Gatti, all of Bristol, Conn. She is survived by her husband of 54 years, three children, seven grandsons and one sister.
Mary was a fiercely devoted mother as well as a loving wife, sister and friend. True to her Italian roots, she loved gathering the family for meals. Nothing gave her greater joy than her children and grandchildren.
