Lenore "Lee" Stanulis Niedzielski, 83, of Newtown, died unexpectedly on May 4, at Danbury Hospital. Born on November 17, 1933, in Brooklyn, N.Y., she was the daughter of Leo and Rose Stanulis.

Her loving and devoted husband of 55 years, Arthur Niedzielski; two daughters and their husbands, Linda and Rob Cohen of Poughquag, N.Y., and Sandra and Michael Mathew of New Milford; three grandchildren, Catelyn Cohen and her fiancé John Pratt of Philadelphia, Penn., Megan Cohen of Poughquag, N.Y., and Bryce Mathew of New Milford survive her. Her brother Leonard Stanulis predeceased Mrs Niedzielski.

She met her husband on the Brooklyn Army base, where she was secretary to his boss. They were separated when Mr Niedzielski went to school in California. After finishing school, he returned to New York and they were married in 1961.

They moved to Connecticut, where Mrs Niedzielski was a stay-at-home mom until starting her education at WestConn. She earned a bachelor's and master's degree and became a devoted teacher and mentor, teaching in the Newtown school system for over 20 years. She adored reading aloud to her students and grandchildren when they were younger and was the pillar of cursive writing at Head O' Meadow Elementary School. Her passion for children continued after her retirement in 1995 when she started mentoring in the Danbury school system, up until January of this year.

Mrs Niedzielski's vacations were always active. As a member of Global Volunteers she traveled to Belize to study manatees and porpoises; she traveled to Poland to teach adults and children the English language; and chartered sailboats with family and friends in Lake Champlain, Long Island Sound, the Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay, and the coast of Maine. But her favorite trip was on a small cruising ship that sailed between Tahiti and Fiji, stopping at several small islands along the way to meet the natives and distribute educational materials.

She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newtown before becoming interested in a Polish National Catholic Church in Stratford. She attended St Joseph's of Stratford for the past ten years, and was secretary and an active member of the Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament Ladies Society.

A cancer survivor, Mrs Niedzielski was impassioned to counsel other women who had cancer symptoms but were reluctant to obtain a diagnosis. She was always there to help friends or family in need. She was an avid reader and a member of her daughter's book club, The Tale Chasers.

As a member of the Candlewood Yacht Club for the last 44 years, she was an able crewman for her husband's sailing activities, and only the hindrance of age pushed her and her husband toward power-boating.

She was a past member of the Commission for Aging and frequent participant in the Newtown Senior Center activities such as Tai Chi, card making, and holiday roadside candles. Mrs Niedzielski had always been active in sports like bowling, softball, and racquetball, but her interest in tennis began when her husband gave her a tennis racquet one Valentine's Day. She continued to play tennis in Danbury and Trumbull ladies leagues until she required a hip replacement. Even after that,she  got out on the court for another few years.

Besides becoming an outstanding cook after she married, and passing down family recipes to her daughters, she was once published in Gourmet Magazine in 1972. She will be dearly missed by all her loved ones.

Relatives and friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, Tuesday, May 9, from 4 to 7 pm.

A Mass will be conducted at St Joseph's of Stratford National Catholic Church, 1300 Stratford Road, Stratford, on Wednesday, May 10, at 11 am. Interment will follow at St Joseph's Cemetery in Stratford.