Josephine Marie Gaudet 1959-2023

Josephine Marie Gaudet, 63, of Hartford, CT died on April 12, 2023. She was born on December 8, 1959, to Kenneth and Zenaida Gaudet in Lawton, Oklahoma where her father was serving in the Army. Her father built their first house in Abington, Massachusetts. After several years, her family grew and her father built a second new home in Braintree, Massachusetts. In 1976, an opportunity arose that moved her family to Connecticut and the building of their third new house, where Josephine graduated from Glastonbury High School in 1977.

After obtaining her welding certificate from A.I. Prince Tech; Hartford, CT in 1980, she entered the Ironworkers Local 15 apprenticeship program becoming a full-fledged Journeyman Ironworker the first woman ever in the State of Connecticut in 1983. During her 32-year career Josephine blazed a path exemplifying commitment, grit, tenacity, and an unyielding desire to hone her skills. She was a welding foreman proficient in Shielded Metal Arch welding and a crane rigger member of a “raising gang” in the construction of steel buildings and bridges. Between the years of 1983 and 2015 Josephine touched every new large building and bridge construction in Connecticut including Mohegan Sun, the Hartford Civic Center and repairs to the Arrigoni Bridge to name a few.

Creativity was her God given gift. Josie, as known to her family and friends, enjoyed leisure time at home in her “little slice of heaven” planting in her vast vegetable and flower gardens. She was passionate about antiques and spending time relaxing with her cat Girley. If you were privileged to have the opportunity to know Josie beyond her gruff exterior, she was kind, selfless, funny, intelligent and a force to be reckoned with, loyal to a fault. She prayed daily in the privacy and quite solitude of her home. She was proud of her Prince Edward Island French heritage often praising her Grandmother Lillian Gaudet.

Josephine is predeceased by her father Kenneth R. Gaudet of Boston Massachusetts, her mother Zenaida Urizarri of Cuba and all her aunts and uncles except her surviving name’s sake Aunt Marie Gaudet of Pennsylvania.

Josephine is also survived by her brother Kenneth J. Gaudet and his wife Michele, her sister Monique G. Burns and her husband Thomas, her sister Christine A. Richards, nine nieces and nephews; Ashley Carlson and her husband Nate, Troy Burns, Brianne Gaudet, Shona Kotfila and her husband Daniel, Kelsey Gaudet, Ryan Gaudet, Evan Gaudet, Skylar Burns and Madison Richards; a first great niece Marleigh Kotfila, and twelve first cousins her favorite and closest brother-like Cousin Brian Gaudet and his wife Gabriella. She also leaves behind her lifelong friend Barbara Galbraith.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Josephina Marie Lillian Gaudet to Rose Hope Animal Refuge.