Lucia "Lucy" (Rossi) LaPenta passed away on September 29, 2017 at 99 years of age. She enjoyed living in the home her husband, Dominic, built for her for 59 years.
She was born on January 2, 1918, the daughter of Italian immigrants, Francesco and Maria LaMonica Rossi, who raised her with solid values of family and hard work, and Lucy instilled these same values when raising her family. She was a dancer, and as a young woman won many dance contests, she was an avid reader and was a gifted cook. Lucy and Dom had cottages at Sound View Beach when it was a quiet getaway, and friends and relatives would visit often. At the shore, she and Dom had a large vegetable garden, an apple orchard and blueberry bramble that produced generous harvests. Lucy set a tradition over 50 years ago where she and her daughters would get together early every Saturday morning for “Tea” to enjoy each other’s company. Friends, neighbors and relatives frequently stopped in to share the time. Lucy was called ‘best friend’ to many over the years including Florence Granato, Jennie Bucello Fishman whom she knew from age 4, and Vera Bucello whom she knew from age 16. Along with Jennie and Vera, Lucy moved to Garden Street after marriage and the three women lived on the same block. Their children became good friends following in their mothers’ tradition.
Lucy was predeceased by her loving husband, Dominic, her brother,
Paul Rossi, his wife Millie who was both a friend and sister-in-law, and her sister, closest friend and confidante, Zina Peluso and her husband Ned Peluso; in-laws Nick and Rose Phillips, Ted and Frances LaPenta, Frank LaPenta and Carmen LaPenta. Lucy leaves her daughters, Marie ‘Maryann’ and Michael Ingram, Frances Olesen, and Janette and Michael Cashman, her grandchildren, Erika and her husband Luigi Patacca of New York, Matthew Cashman and his wife Alexandra Arnold of Cambridge, MA and Kevin Cashman of Washington, DC, two great grandchildren, and a special family friend whom she called her “fourth daughter”, Mary Jane Jeter of Avon. She leaves many nieces and nephews and enjoyed frequent visits from Ann and Bill Giguere, Nedine and Tom Sutton, Rosemary Ostafin, Nancy Peluso, and her godson Joe Peluso for whom she always held a special place in her heart.

We would like to thank the staff at Hughes Health, Southeast nurse’s station for their compassion and excellent care. Lucy had a full life, filled with friends and family that were blessed to know her. She will be missed by all.
Friends are invited to visit at the Sheehan Hilborn Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford on Friday, (Oct. 6), from 9:00 – 10:30 am at the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 11:00 am at The Church of St. Helena, Echo Lane, West Hartford. Burial will be in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com