Caterina "Catherine" Teti

With heavy hearts and immeasurable sorrow, we announce the passing of  Caterina"Catherine" (Conidi) Teti, age 94, on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at the Hospital of Central CT.  The eldest daughter of the late Bruno and Barbara Conidi, she was born in Filadelfia, Reggio di Calabria, Provincia di Catanzaro, Italy.  She immigrated to the US with her mother and sister through Ellis Island on the Marina Sharka on August 26, 1947 and has lived in New Britain ever since. The wife of the late Francesco "Frank" Teti, she worked for a year to save enough to send for him to come from Italy.  He arrived at Ellis Island on the Vulcania on August 28, 1948.

A talented and skilled seamstress, she began working 11 days after getting off the boat and worked for several sewing factories until her retirement in 1992.  She sewed everything from shirts, pants, and jackets to Bianchi wedding gowns. In addition to sewing clothing for her family, she was an expert knitter, making countless blankets, slippers, hats, mittens, and hot plates, which she freely gave to family and friends.  She canned over 100 jars of tomato sauce every year from the 300 tomato plants Frank planted, in addition to marinating peppers and olives in crocks and hanging homemade salami in the wine cellar. Feeding people was her love language, and no Sunday was complete without the aroma of homemade sauce boiling on the stove with fresh homemade meatballs and the sound of the Italian program on the radio.  She was famous in the neighborhood for her homemade bread, which she baked weekly, and for her award-winning Italian cookies.

Catherine loved the Game Show Network, especially "Family Feud" and "Deal or No Deal", and Antenna TV, especially "Alice".  She enjoyed old movies, especially "Pillow Talk", "Goodbye Charlie", and "Dear Heart" and anything starring Mario Merola, and she loved music, especially Andrea Bocelli and ABBA's "Dancing Queen".

Catherine was a wonderful friend and neighbor, especially cherishing her friendships with Mary Phaneuf and Rita Brown, with whom she enjoyed spending time taking walks, drinking coffee, and just sitting outside and talking.  Being very social, she and Frank had countless friends over the years and they so enjoyed their company.  She worked tirelessly to help provide for her family and bring Frank's family from Italy, sponsoring, housing and feeding them for months at a time while getting them established in apartments and jobs.

As the last of the original Brook Street residents, she welcomed new neighbors lovingly and developed warm relationships with all of them.

Besides her husband Frank, who passed away on July 7, 2019, and her parents, Catherine was predeceased by her sister and brother-in-law, Antoinette and John Moss and their infant son, Daniel Moss; her father and mother-in-law, Francesco Teti and Anna Bartucca; her in-laws Vincent and Barbara Dastoli, Giovanni and Vittoria Galati, Teodoro Teti, and several other family members in Italy.

Catherine leaves to mourn her loss her loving and devoted children Frank Teti, Jr, Barbara Labriola (Bob), Anna Teti (Gerry Stepina), and Cathy Teti; her grandchildren, Robin Teti-Montanez(Darek), Colleen Teti(Rose), Michael Labriola(Jennifer), and Amanda and Timmy Schneider; her great grandchildren Xavier and Ashlynn Montanez, Ivory Selke,  Natalia Labriola and Cosmos Teti-Ciccarelli; her sister Anna White (Bob); her former son-in-law, Bob Schneider;  her sister-in-law Veronica Teti; and many nieces, nephews and cousins in the US, Canada and Italy.

Catherine's family would like to thank her angels on earth who lovingly took care of her the last few years and made it possible for her to stay at home:  Dorothy, Agnes B., Agnes T., Mariola, and Margaret.

She will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by everyone who knew her.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 10 AM at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home, 411 So. Main St., New Britain, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM at St. Ann Church of St. Joachim Parish, 101 North St., New Britain.  Entombment will be in St. Mary Cemetery.  Calling hours are Friday, February 7, 2025 from 4-7 PM at the funeral home.