Our darling beloved mom, grand-ma and friend died on March 2nd just weeks before her 97th birthday.  Survived by her adoring daughters Gail Weed, Marilyn Smith, and Sandy Weed, sons-in-law James Eaton and Bill Smith, her grandsons Jason and Mark Weed, her sister Mary Perricone, and brother Michael Landino, dozens of nieces and nephews and many friends.  Terry was predeceased by her dear beloved son Clifford Weed, her loving husband of sixty-one years, Alfred Weed, her siblings Marce Landino, Lucy DeCaprio, Marie Ottaviano, Jenny DeFilippo, Antonette Ranalli and Joe Landino, and 20 of her sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. Terry was a truly lovely lady inside and out, of quiet dignity, charm, humility, wit and intelligence, her engaging personality was both sweet and gentle, yet she was fun and amazingly energetic, full of an effervescent, tireless joy that always lifted the spirits of everyone around her and made life a pleasure.  Though most deserving, she never took any credit for all she did – and reacted to praise with a shy, self-effacing smile.  She found joy in giving of herself.  Her wonderful creativity and her compassionate care had her consistently providing the most fresh, healthy and absolutely delicious meals – which her daughters have forever tried to equal – but can’t ever quite get it.  An avid reader (honored by the local library), she was smart and wise, loving and selfless – and she was always inspirational.  Her outer beauty brought her an award which tickled her – but her inner beauty is what forever shone through.  No stranger to hard work and tough times, she grew up with her Italian-born parents and grandmother, along with her five sisters and three brothers during the Depression and was able to weather the worst that life had to offer with unparalleled grace – never a complaint, never a selfish thought, and with an irrepressible, fun-loving humor.  She used to relate with glee how one day as a teen she and her sisters and co-workers were released early from their work at the local shirt factory, to walk home through what turned out to be the hurricane of ’38; with all the gals linking arms tightly together to save each other as they braved the storm.  She was generous, and deeply compassionate – her tough and humble beginnings during the rough Depression years instilling in her the strength needed for life’s sorrows, and the need to take care of one another was first and foremost inbred in her.  Always open-minded, she grew up with folks from all over – jokingly referring to her community as the League of Nations – with stories of wonder, sorrow, hard work, and always side-splitting humor – in which they all took their cultural differences in stride; all getting through and helping each other.  She loved people and was very outgoing, loved to go out, loved meeting people and could speak to anyone as a new friend.  She was always deeply considerate of others, and very devoted to her children.  She seemed to live by an instinctive code – to never do anything that would make things harder for someone, or make someone feel bad, to never dampen someone’s spirits.  Indeed, her nature was to support and encourage; to allow and enable people to do and be their very best.  Being around Terry was happiness.  She was eternally young at heart – and always kind, always upbeat.  As a gal of quiet inner strength and perseverance who would never give up, even through her many years of memory-loss she could find humor in the most daunting circumstances and we’d join her in laughter.  It was an honor to care for her.  Always lighthearted, she was the center of our world and we learned from her every day, and loved and appreciated and cherished her more than words can express.  We can all only hope and strive to be as wonderful as she always was.  Terry was exquisite – and always, every minute, the sweetest, dearest joy – and a sheer delight.  The world needs more like this dear, darling gal.  We will miss her sweet smile.  We will miss her terribly.

Funeral procession will leave the North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue, Wednesday morning, March 8th, at 10:45.  A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in St. Clare Church, 234 Coe Avenue, East Haven at 11:30.  Interment will follow East Lawn Cemetery in East Haven.  Relatives and friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 10:45 am.