Fayne (O'Brien) Gaffney

It is with broken hearts that we announce the passing of Fayne Gaffney, age 91, on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 after a brief illness.  She was a longtime resident of Kensington, CT.

“Faye” will live forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

She was the widow of James C. Gaffney and is survived by her loving children:  Patricia Clair (Terence) of Franklin, TN; Cheryl Gaffney of Kensington; Jamie Dorsey (Jeffrey) of Sudbury, MA; and James Gaffney (Leslie Pajor) of Kensington.  Her daughter, Erin Gaffney Clemens; her son, Brien Gaffney (Debbie Graham); and her beloved dog and companion Lucky predeceased her. Faye (a.k.a. “Bubba”) will be sorely missed by her four adoring grandchildren: Brendan Clair, Tucker Clair, Austin Dorsey, and Taylor Dorsey, along with her great-niece, Katie O’Brien.  She loved them all immensely and was extremely proud of their accomplishments.

She was born on May 19, 1929 in New Britain, CT to the late James and Anna (O’Keefe) O’Brien.  She was the youngest of seven children and is survived by her dear brother, Donald O’Brien of Simsbury, CT.  Her three brothers, James O'Brien, Robert O'Brien, and John O'Brien; and two sisters, Patricia O'Brien and Virginia Erickson all predeceased her.

Faye also leaves behind many cherished nieces, nephews and untold friends. Of special note is her devoted friend Fr. John Daly, along with Denise O’Brien, Mary Martin O’Brien and Mary Boyle with whom she shared a special relationship.

Faye was a graduate of New Britain High School and Trinity College in Burlington, VT.  She enjoyed a long career as a teacher of children of all ages, culminating as a Reading Resource Teacher at the Griswold Elementary School within the Berlin Public School System.  Throughout her retirement, she remained close to her colleagues with whom she created many happy memories.

Faye truly loved life and always enjoyed a good laugh.  Always the life of the party, she would light up any room with her sense of humor and positive spirit.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Paul’s Church in Kensington, CT on Tuesday, September 22nd at 11:30 AM.  In order to adhere to continued COVID 19 mandates, the wearing of masks, six feet of social distancing and a maximum of 100 church guests will be required.  For those who cannot attend, the funeral will be live streamed at stpaulkensington.org, click on “Live Stream”.

Burial will be in Maple Cemetery in Berlin, CT.  Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home in Berlin is kindly handling the arrangements for the family. Because of her love for children, a memorial fund has been set up in her honor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.  Dedicated donations may be made by phone or mail to Memorial Fund ID#12146173 or by going to www.stjude.org.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Fayne (O'Brien) Gaffney, please visit our floral store.