Jean Hayes Carr

Jean (Hayes) Carr, 87, beloved wife of the late John H. Carr, Jr., of West Hartford, died Saturday, November 2, 2019 at St. Francis Hospital. Born in Hartford, the daughter of the late Francis and Dorothy (Garvey) Hayes, she was raised in Hartford, attending South West School and graduating from Bulkeley High School in 1950. Although Jean grew up an only child, she was surrounded by many aunts and uncles who were her de facto extended family. Her closest aunt, Marianne, was younger than Jean. They were close their entire lives. Over the years, she loved spending time with her aunts and uncles and their holiday parties were nothing short of legendary. Jean and John knew each other since they were young children, having attended the same Hartford schools together. They were married in 1955, at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in West Hartford soon after John graduated from Providence College. John’s duties in the Army gave them the opportunity to travel throughout the south as well as to Germany and many European countries. Two of her sons were born at military hospitals in Germany. To this day they speak fluent German. They moved to Vernon and eventually settled in West Hartford where four more boys were added to the household. She raised her six boys with so much love and caring, but she knew how and when to lay down the law. Not for nothing was she known as “Big Jean”. She was petite in stature, but her personality, presence, and overall bearing loomed large. Anyone who knew her could never forget her. When she was in the vicinity, you knew it. She loved being the center of attention! She was a force to be reckoned with, but also a loving and compassionate individual who easily made life-long friends. After the boys moved out, she was determined to stay busy. She held a few jobs, but it was quickly apparent that Jean was virtually unemployable. The concept of being told what to do by someone else was completely lost on her, so she simply started her own business. She successfully operated a cosmetics store in the West Hartford Center for several years. Jean’s church community was a large part of her life. She served as the President of St. Thomas the Apostle Women’s Club and volunteered at the church rectory and their after-school program. Jean was also active in the community. She was a volunteer at St. Agnes Guild, the Women’s Auxiliary of St. Francis Hospital, and served as President of the Bulkeley High School Alumni Association. She and John both volunteered at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford for many years. They were very active in coordinating Bulkeley High school reunions up to and including their 65th! When they weren’t keeping active with volunteer work, they loved traveling whenever they could. They enjoyed visiting friends and family throughout the United States and particularly enjoyed traveling to Ireland with friends. They spent many wonderful years at their cottage in Black Point Beach in Niantic, hosting summer parties and cookouts for the family, which grew over the years to include sixteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. “Gorgeous Nannie” was at her happiest when she was with her grandchildren. She always wanted to know what was going on in their lives and cherished every minute she was able to spend with them. She loved the holidays when all of them were with her. She held a special place in her heart for her granddaughters, having missed out on raising a daughter of her own. They were her “princesses”, and she was “the Queen”. And did she ever love a party, especially when other members of the family could be there. It was always a special time when the Garveys from Wethersfield, the Phelps from Bristol or the Carrs from Virginia could get together for a special occasion. It didn’t matter if the occasion was a wedding or a funeral, it would always be a fun celebration (if it was the latter, the only difference was that one less person would be in attendance). She is survived by her six sons Edward (Kathleen), Francis (Natalia), Joseph (Pamella), James (Lynn), Peter (Marie) and Stephen (Leslie); her 16 grandchildren (John “J. J.”, Bridget (and her husband, J. R.), Francis “Patrick”, Dennis, Elizabeth, Brendan, Terence, Joseph “J. C”, Kelly, Neal, Henry, Tommy, Danny, Kevin, Madison and Shane) and two great-grandchildren (Liam and Conor). Calling hours will be Friday, November 8th from 4-7 p.m. at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 9th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 872 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Burial will be private in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery. The Carr family would like to thank the wonderful staff at The McAuley Continuing Care Center for their incredible service and kindness to Mom. Also, we will always be grateful for the warm welcome she was given and the friends she made during her time there. She also never forgot her many friends at the Bishop Road condominium, where Jean and John spent so many years together. She missed them greatly and loved reminiscing about the wonderful times they had there. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to St. Thomas the Apostle School, 25 Dover Rd., West Hartford, CT 06119 or to the Humane Society, 701, Russell Rd, Newington, CT 06111. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at ww.molloyfuneralhome.com