Obituary for Jean Canal (Bauer)
Our precious mother, Jean Bertha (Bauer) Canal, 83, of Tolland died peacefully on September 3, 2022 and has now been reunited with her beloved husband of 56 years, Ellis Canal, Jr. They shared a strong love together and a genuine bond. They were each other’s missing piece and now they are complete once again. She was born in Newark, NJ on August 23, 1939, daughter of the late Joseph and Frances (Zatorski) Bauer.
After graduating East Side High School in Newark, NJ she married Ellis Jr. and together they began their life in Tolland, CT. A town they embraced and a community they loved. Jean was blessed with a close and loving family. As the rock of the family, she was fun, feisty, and funny. Jean raised her three children, Ellis, Janeen, and Tammy with her core values of honesty, respect, and compassion. To her grandchildren, Karen, Brynn, Gavin, and Dylan, she was a playmate, a friend and the one always ready to enjoy a treat with. She had a loving presence in their lives no matter the distance, graciously listening to their tales.
Hard work and remarkable generosity of spirit were the hallmarks of Jean Canal’s life. Volunteering and giving back were a significant part of who she was. For over 55 years, she gave her time and talent to the benefit of many organizations within St. Matthew Church of Tolland, her home away from home and other local organizations. She held leadership positions in everything she did - many times more than once. She was proud of her accomplishments within the St. Matthew Women’s Guild, as well as The Couple’s Club, such as a Communion Minister, and being the Easter Bunny on the Tolland Green. She was a Charter Member of the Suburban Women’s Club (SWC) of Vernon, Ellington, and Tolland which held the annual fundraiser Clowntown. She gladly served alongside her husband on many Knights of Columbus endeavors for the State of Connecticut and Tolland Council #6626. She wholeheartedly was most happy when helping others.
Jean loved spending time in the kitchen at Howell Cheney Technical School, where she proudly worked for 17 years as “The Lunch Lady”. Her talent was cooking golumpki, lasagna ala Jean, and baking sourdough bread. She had such pride in making apples pies for her bake booth at St. Matthew Frosty Village Bazaar for decades.
She enjoyed socializing immensely with the Bunco group, the Breakfast bunch, many friends through St. Matthew Couple’s Club, SWC’s Gourmet Group, and at “Tea and Donuts” after church.
Jean was an avid UCONN Women’s Basketball fan. She enjoyed traveling to many places and touring Cape Cod every fall. She enjoyed bowling, playing card and board games, and even more... winning at them, spending time in her garden and being part of a loving neighborhood of friends. She loved being told she could not do something because she was absolutely going to prove you wrong. She loved her Polish heritage and was convinced most problems could be solved with her “Polish Power”.
Jean at heart was loving and blessed with a life full of happiness.
She will be so greatly missed by her son, Ellis Joseph of Ionia, NY; granddaughters Karen and Brynn MacWilliams of NH; daughter Janeen (Canal) Caleo and husband, Michael, grandsons Gavin and Dylan of Manhattan Beach, CA; Tammy (Canal) Bisson and husband, Kevin of Ellington, CT. She was a loving sister to Joseph and Virginia Bauer, Dorothy and the late Joseph Andransky, the late Barbara and Henry Rozembajgier, Linda and Jack Miktus, the late Thomas Bauer, and Stephen and the late Diane Bauer. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Friends may gather on Sunday, September 11, at Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Merrow Road, Rte. 195, Tolland from 3 to 7 p.m. for a celebration of her life and Monday, September 12, at St. Matthew Church, 111 Tolland Green, Tolland, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Burial will be in South Cemetery, 299 Cider Mill Road, Tolland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to “St. Matthew Church”.
For online condolences please vivit:www.pietrasfuneralhome.com
After graduating East Side High School in Newark, NJ she married Ellis Jr. and together they began their life in Tolland, CT. A town they embraced and a community they loved. Jean was blessed with a close and loving family. As the rock of the family, she was fun, feisty, and funny. Jean raised her three children, Ellis, Janeen, and Tammy with her core values of honesty, respect, and compassion. To her grandchildren, Karen, Brynn, Gavin, and Dylan, she was a playmate, a friend and the one always ready to enjoy a treat with. She had a loving presence in their lives no matter the distance, graciously listening to their tales.
Hard work and remarkable generosity of spirit were the hallmarks of Jean Canal’s life. Volunteering and giving back were a significant part of who she was. For over 55 years, she gave her time and talent to the benefit of many organizations within St. Matthew Church of Tolland, her home away from home and other local organizations. She held leadership positions in everything she did - many times more than once. She was proud of her accomplishments within the St. Matthew Women’s Guild, as well as The Couple’s Club, such as a Communion Minister, and being the Easter Bunny on the Tolland Green. She was a Charter Member of the Suburban Women’s Club (SWC) of Vernon, Ellington, and Tolland which held the annual fundraiser Clowntown. She gladly served alongside her husband on many Knights of Columbus endeavors for the State of Connecticut and Tolland Council #6626. She wholeheartedly was most happy when helping others.
Jean loved spending time in the kitchen at Howell Cheney Technical School, where she proudly worked for 17 years as “The Lunch Lady”. Her talent was cooking golumpki, lasagna ala Jean, and baking sourdough bread. She had such pride in making apples pies for her bake booth at St. Matthew Frosty Village Bazaar for decades.
She enjoyed socializing immensely with the Bunco group, the Breakfast bunch, many friends through St. Matthew Couple’s Club, SWC’s Gourmet Group, and at “Tea and Donuts” after church.
Jean was an avid UCONN Women’s Basketball fan. She enjoyed traveling to many places and touring Cape Cod every fall. She enjoyed bowling, playing card and board games, and even more... winning at them, spending time in her garden and being part of a loving neighborhood of friends. She loved being told she could not do something because she was absolutely going to prove you wrong. She loved her Polish heritage and was convinced most problems could be solved with her “Polish Power”.
Jean at heart was loving and blessed with a life full of happiness.
She will be so greatly missed by her son, Ellis Joseph of Ionia, NY; granddaughters Karen and Brynn MacWilliams of NH; daughter Janeen (Canal) Caleo and husband, Michael, grandsons Gavin and Dylan of Manhattan Beach, CA; Tammy (Canal) Bisson and husband, Kevin of Ellington, CT. She was a loving sister to Joseph and Virginia Bauer, Dorothy and the late Joseph Andransky, the late Barbara and Henry Rozembajgier, Linda and Jack Miktus, the late Thomas Bauer, and Stephen and the late Diane Bauer. She is survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Friends may gather on Sunday, September 11, at Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Merrow Road, Rte. 195, Tolland from 3 to 7 p.m. for a celebration of her life and Monday, September 12, at St. Matthew Church, 111 Tolland Green, Tolland, for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am. Burial will be in South Cemetery, 299 Cider Mill Road, Tolland. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to “St. Matthew Church”.
For online condolences please vivit:www.pietrasfuneralhome.com