Obituary of Madelyn P. Briggs

NORWALK, CONN Madelyn (Midge) Elaine Briggs passed peacefully at Meadow Mills Assisted Living and Memory Care facility in Hamden, Connecticut, on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 13 days short of her 96th birthday. Mrs. Briggs was the widow of Dr. Richard C. Briggs, who was Norwalk superintendent of schools during the 1970s. She lived in her beloved “home on the hill” at 18 Marlborough Rd. in Norwalk for 50 years, Born in Norwich, Connecticut, on Dec. 7, 1925 and raised in Uncasville, Connecticut, she was the daughter of Susan Fitch Home and Armand J Plouffe. Mrs. Briggs was a graduate of Uncasville Grammar School; The Williams School, in New London, Connecticut, and what is now Eastern Connecticut State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1947. She spent seven years teaching first grade at Palmer Memorial School in Montville, Connecticut, where the average class size was 40 pupils. She always made the time to be helpful and caring to every student in her classroom, no matter how many children were in the class. On June 25, 1949, she and Dr. Briggs married at her parents’ home in Uncasville. The couple began their marriage living in Lebanon, Connecticut, and then Willimantic, Connecticut. As Dr. Briggs moved from teacher to principal to superintendent, the couple lived in Chaplin, Woodbridge, Storrs and Watertown, all in Connecticut, before moves to East Greenbush, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. The family moved to Norwalk in 1971. Mrs. Briggs loved her potted plants, flower gardens and lawn decorations. She always fed her birds and especially enjoyed watching her cardinals because she strongly believed their presence meant the spirit of a loved one was close by. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles (usually solving two a day) and always believed in accomplishing something on her “to do” list every day because, she would say, “no one is promised tomorrow.” She was not fond of the word “bored” and never used it to describe a single day of her life. For many years she volunteered at the Information desk at Norwalk City Hall where she enjoyed helping visitors find their way through the building to their destinations. She would see many friends while manning the desk and made many new friends as well. She is remembered as a cheerful, helpful person with a ready smile and a great sense of humor. Mrs. Briggs also volunteered at Star, Norwalk Reads and RSVP Mailings, and she worked in the gift shop and mail room at Honey Hill Care Center before it became Autumn Lake. She was also a member of the Norwalk Senior Center and the Williams Memorial Institute Alumni Association. Mrs.Briggs is survived by her son Allyn S. Briggs (Marcy), of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina; her daughter, Susan Briggs Temelini (Stephen), of Redding, Connecticut; her son Lyndon R. Briggs, of Derby, Connecticut; two granddaughters, Kathryn (Thomas) Freeman, of Herndon, Virginia, and Maryn M. Cahalan, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and two grandsons, Richard J. Briggs, of Milford, Connecticut, and Thomas B Cahalan, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins in Mystic, Connecticut; Blue Hill, Maine, and Cape Cod. She was pre-deceased by her dear brother, Raymond Plouffe, of Mystic. Her family wishes to extend their sincere thanks and gratitude to the staff at Meadow Mills Assisted Living and Memory Care as well as her hospice caregivers for their dedication in making the last months of her life peaceful, happy and comfortable. A special thank you to her neighbors on Marlborough Rd for always looking out for her and brightening her days through their phone calls and visits. A Celebration of Life service will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 7, at the Raymond Funeral Home (Hoyt Cognetta), 5 East Wall Street, Norwalk, Connecticut at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Willowbrook Cemetery, 395 Main Street, Westport. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County, PO Box 489, Wilton, Connecticut, 06897, or The Connecticut Audubon Society, 314 Unquowa Rd, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824.