Lenore (Lee) Stanulis Niedzielski, 83, of Newtown, Connecticut passed away unexpectedly on Thursday May 4, 2017 at Danbury Hospital. Born on November 17, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York, she was the daughter of Leo and Rose Stanulis. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 55 years Arthur Niedzielski; two daughters: Linda Cohen (and husband Rob) of Poughquag, NY and Sandra Mathew (and husband Michael) of New Milford, CT; three grandchildren: Catelyn Cohen (and fiancée John Pratt) of Philadelphia, PA, Megan Cohen of Poughquag, NY, and Bryce Mathew of New Milford, CT. She is predeceased by her brother Leonard Stanulis.

Lenore met her husband on the Brooklyn Army base where she was his boss’ secretary. They were separated when Art went to school in California. After finishing school, Art returned to New York and they were married in 1961. They moved to Connecticut where Lenore was a stay-at-home mom until starting her education at WestConn. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree and became a devoted teacher and mentor, teaching in the Newtown school system for over 20 years. She adored reading aloud to her students and grandchildren when they were younger and was the pillar of cursive writing at Head O’Meadow Elementary School. Her passion for children continued after her retirement in 1995 when she started mentoring in the Danbury school system up until January of this year.

Lenore’s vacations were always active. As a member of Global Volunteers she traveled to Belize to study manatees and porpoises, she traveled to Poland to teach adults and children the English language, and chartered sailboats with family and friends in Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, the Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of Maine. But her favorite trip was on a small cruising ship that sailed between Tahiti and Fiji, stopping at several small islands along the way to meet the natives and distribute educational materials.

Lenore was a member of the Episcopal church community at Trinity Church in Newtown before becoming interested in a Polish National Catholic Church in Stratford, Connecticut. She attended St. Joseph’s of Stratford for the past 10 years and was secretary and an active member of the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament Ladies Society.

A cancer survivor herself, she was impassioned to counsel other women who had cancer symptoms but were reluctant to obtain a diagnosis. She was always there to help friends or family in need. She was an avid reader and a member of her daughter’s book club The Tale Chasers. As a member of the Candlewood Yacht Club for the last 44 years, she was an able crewman for Art’s sailing activities and only the hindrance of age pushed her and her husband toward powerboating. She is a past member of the Commission for Aging and frequent participant in the Newtown Senior Center activities such as Tai Chi, card making, and holiday roadside candles. Lenore has always been active in sports like bowling, softball, and racquetball, but her interest in tennis began when Art gave her a tennis racquet one Valentine’s Day. She continued to play tennis in Danbury and Trumbull ladies leagues until she required a hip replacement and even after that, got out on the court for another few years.
Besides becoming an outstanding cook after she married and passing down family recipes to her daughters, she was once published in Gourmet Magazine in 1972. She will be dearly missed by all her loved ones.

Relatives and friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, Tuesday May 9, 2017 from 4:00-7:00 p.m., 58 Main St., Newtown, CT. A Mass will be held at St Joseph’s of Stratford National Catholic Church, 1300 Stratford Rd, Stratford, CT on May 10 at 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Stratford.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Lenore "Lee" Niedzielski, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.