Mary Beatrice Steeves

Beatrice C. Steeves Mary Beatrice Steeves, of West Hartford, wife of the late Frank J. Steeves, passed away peacefully at her home on April1, 2011. She was born May 22, 1918 to William and Esther O'Farrell Cashin. She graduated from William Hall High School in 1936. In 1940, she earned her B.A. in English from Saint Joseph College and she proudly attended her 70th reunion this past September. Bea pursued her Master's at Trinity College, writing her dissertation on G.K. Chesterton. On August 17, 1946, she married her beloved husband, Frank, who died April 12, 1972. In 1974, she earned her M.A. in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Saint Joseph College. Bea had a lifelong passion for learning. Her areas of interest were many: philosophy, religion, languages, women's studies, literature, art and music. She taught English, Latin and Religion for more than 30 years in several parochial schools, including St. Augustine grammar school, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, South Catholic High, Northwest Catholic High and St. Thomas Aquinas. She was Assistant Director of Religious Education at Holy Spirit parish in Newington for two years. She also taught high school English for the Sisters of Good Shepherd Bea was a very active member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church, receiving in 2004 the Medal of St. Joseph from the Archdiocese of Hartford in recognition of her many years of service to the parish. She was the first woman president of the Parish Council. Bea was in the first group of Eucharistic Ministers commissioned in the Archdiocese of Hartford in 1979. She brought communion to the Hughes Convalescent Home for 30 years. She helped found a support group for separated, widowed and divorced Catholics at St. Thomas and was dedicated to the parish's sister parish in Hartford, Sacred Heart. A daily communicant, she was also a long-time lector at the church. For 10 years, she and friends brought meals to Tabor House in Hartford, volunteering in support of those living with HIV/AIDS. She and her husband were active in the Cursillo movement and later she was involved in small Christian communities, hosting a group in her home for many years. Bea is survived by four children and their spouses and nine grandchildren: Michael and Pamela Gray Steeves of Southington, and their children Matthew and Samantha; Gerald and Loretta Krempasky Steeves of New Paris, PA, and their children Sean and Sarah; Margaret Steeves and Joseph Laffin of West Hartford, and their son Christopher; and Brian and Claudia Thompson Steeves of Glastonbury, and their children Kristin, William, Elizabeth and Jackson. She is also survived by a beloved sister, Eileen Cashin Effing of Helena, MT, and many wonderful and cherished friends. Funeral services will be Monday, April 4 at 9:30 a.m. from the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. in St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 872 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Burial will follow in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Friends may call on Sunday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the funeral home. Donations in Bea's memory may be made to the Saint Joseph College Scholarship Fund, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford, CT 06117 or to Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, 872 Farmington Ave., West Hartford CT 06119. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com

Mary Beatrice Steeves

May 22, 1918 - April 1, 2011