Obituary of E. Verna Fish

E. Verna [Worrell] Fish, 100, of Woodstock, CT, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2017. She was born on November 3, 1916, daughter of the late Vernon Worrell and Carrie [Wells] Worrell of Southampton Township, NJ. She began her working career as a bookkeeper at Samoset Laundromat in Plainfield, NJ. Then after having her children, she modeled women’s wear for Tepper’s Clothing Store in Plainfield, NJ. After moving to CT in 1974, she began her sales career at BugBee’s Department Store in Putnam, CT. In 1990 she began working as a clerk at Sturbridge Village, where she worked for 20 years until she retired at the age of 94 in 2010. She loved her co-workers at the Village, especially Shirley, and meeting and helping all the guests that visited the gift shop. She always said that working kept her young. In her spare time, she would visit with her many friends in her knitting club and often shared stories and techniques about her 90 years of knitting expertise with others during the knitting hour at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge, MA. She was fond of feeding and talking to the hummingbirds and cardinals, gardening, vacationing and taking walks on the beach at Long Beach Island or Cape Cod with her family, spending evenings watching QVC, collecting antiques, and snuggling with her cats. Verna was predeceased by her loving husband of 66 years, James H. Fish, Sr.; her sister, Julia (Wells) Shontz; and her daughter, Lois Mae Fish. As the family thread and matriarch, she is survived by five generations including her children Carol [Fish] and her husband Joseph Nicastro of Watchung, NJ, James H. Fish, Jr. and his wife Carol of Columbia, CT, Phyllis [Fish] Engel of Manchester, CT, Paul Fish and his wife Anna of Southbridge, MA and Debbie [Fish] Baker and her companion Todd Ciukaj of Woodstock, CT; 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, 16 great-great grandchildren; her brother-in-law, Robert Stutz of Trenton, NJ; sister-in-law, Imogene Fish of Needham, MA; and many friends, including Yvonne, her wonderful hairdresser and Butch, Mary, Kathy and Andy, the best neighbors anyone could ever wish for. Verna lived an incredible life and will be truly missed. “Time endears, but cannot fade, the memories that we have made”, and memories of time spent with this elegant, loving woman will live on in the lives and hearts of all she touched. Verna’s family wishes to thank the staff at Douglas Manor, especially Lynn, for their kind and compassionate care over the past year. She made many friends while at Douglas Manor and for this her family is most grateful. No calling hours will be held at this time. Burial services will be held at the Hillside Cemetery in Scotch Plains, NJ at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2017. A Memorial Service in celebration of her life will be held in the spring. Details of this service to be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to either Animals for Life (https://animalsforlife.org/) or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org/). Arrangements by Smith and Walker Funeral Home, 148 Grove Street, Putnam, CT. www.smithandwalkerfh.com