Stephanie M Champion's Obituary
Stephanie Kaliszewski Champion, 97, died peacefully in her St Petersburg, FL home April 2nd.
Stephanie was born in New Haven, CT on October 1, 1919 to John and Bessie (Bronislawa Popielarczyk) Kaliszewski. She married Brady Champion in St Stanislaus Church in New Haven, where she and her family were lifelong parishioners.
She is survived by her children John Champion (Wendy Samberg), Cecilia Hamilton (Jay Ehrlich), Virginia Champion and Celeste Champion. She is also survived by her grandchildren Sasha Samberg-Champion (Rachael Yocum), Elizabeth Torres (Greg), Johanna Samberg-Champion (Jamar Sanders), Dylan Champion and 5 great grandchildren. She was predeceased by husband, Brady, by her son, William Champion and her sister, Mary Goclowski.
She graduated from Commercial High School and lived in Fair Haven most of her life where she worked with her parents and her sisters, Mary, Helen Kalisewski, Alice Eldridge and Dorothy Shuey, in several small variety and liquor stores and where she raised her family. She retired to St Petersburg, Florida in 1987.
She was the rock that held her family together – helping and guiding 5 children through homework assignments, making sure they got to work on time, slipping them money and hundreds of other desperately needed kindnesses. These acts will never be forgotten by her family.
Alas, she was doomed to root for the Tampa Bay Rays, a team that struggled mightily but never had the resources to succeed.
Memorial services will be announced at a later date.
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