Obituary for Jane Downes (Karpienia)
A radiant, loving light dims from this world and begins to sparkle in the heavens above. Jane (Karpienia) Downes, 88, of Hartford, beloved wife to Robert “Bob” Downes, passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, surrounded by family. She was born to the late Lucian and Katherine (Hacia) Karpienia on July 20, 1933 in Hartford. After graduating from Wilson Street School, and then from Hartford High School (1951), Jane went on to the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing. At age twelve, Jane met the love of her life, her husband Bob, to whom she was married for 66 years.
In addition to her husband, Jane is survived by her beloved children, daughter Dr. Deborah Downes and her husband Dr. Marion Stoj as well as her son Robert T. Downes and his wife, Judge Claudia Baio. She is also survived by her cherished grandchildren, Victoria Stoj, Christopher Stoj, Stefania Stoj, Robert Downes, Amelia Stoj, and a special niece, Michelle Lenihan and her husband John. Jane is predeceased by her daughter Valerie Jane Downes and her husband Valentin Zurawlew and a sister Barbara Maliszewski and her husband Thaddeus W. Maliszewski. Jane also leaves behind many very dear nieces, nephews and cousins in the Downes, Hacia, Maliszewski and Williamson families, and many other adored relatives and friends.
She devoted many years to raising her and her husband’s three children in their lifelong home in the South End of Hartford. Jane was also known by her grandchildren as an exemplar for living life, teaching them, through her actions, how to welcome each day with a smile. Outside of her family, Jane worked in her community for many years as a teller for several banks in Hartford, including Charter Oak Bank. She still maintained longstanding friendships with her colleagues from her days at Charter Oak. Later in life, she dutifully worked alongside her three children at her daughter’s ophthalmology practice, a role she maintained for 36 years, retiring in 2022. And throughout all that time, she maintained an equally steadfast appreciation for each and every moment, new faces and the familiar, rainy days and sunny ones.
Jane was a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, hard-worker, and, on top of it all, a deeply thoughtful person who believed that the secret to living a good life was to “keep it simple.” She believed in positive thinking, striving to maintain a cheerful outlook even in difficult times. Whenever Jane entered a room, she positively filled it with her tender, nurturing, and youthful energy. Jane leaves us with an abundance of fond memories, from her love of cooking for family and friends to her many travels that kept the bonds of family and tradition alive. She had a strong faith in God, into whose loving arms she now resides.
Friends and family may call on the Downes family from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, June 24, 2022 at
the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Road, Wethersfield. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating
Jane’s life will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:00am, at the Church of the Incarnation, 544
Prospect St., Wethersfield. All attendees are asked to go directly to church. Burial will be private and at
the convenience of the family. For further information, or to leave a condolence, please visit
FarleySullivan.com
In addition to her husband, Jane is survived by her beloved children, daughter Dr. Deborah Downes and her husband Dr. Marion Stoj as well as her son Robert T. Downes and his wife, Judge Claudia Baio. She is also survived by her cherished grandchildren, Victoria Stoj, Christopher Stoj, Stefania Stoj, Robert Downes, Amelia Stoj, and a special niece, Michelle Lenihan and her husband John. Jane is predeceased by her daughter Valerie Jane Downes and her husband Valentin Zurawlew and a sister Barbara Maliszewski and her husband Thaddeus W. Maliszewski. Jane also leaves behind many very dear nieces, nephews and cousins in the Downes, Hacia, Maliszewski and Williamson families, and many other adored relatives and friends.
She devoted many years to raising her and her husband’s three children in their lifelong home in the South End of Hartford. Jane was also known by her grandchildren as an exemplar for living life, teaching them, through her actions, how to welcome each day with a smile. Outside of her family, Jane worked in her community for many years as a teller for several banks in Hartford, including Charter Oak Bank. She still maintained longstanding friendships with her colleagues from her days at Charter Oak. Later in life, she dutifully worked alongside her three children at her daughter’s ophthalmology practice, a role she maintained for 36 years, retiring in 2022. And throughout all that time, she maintained an equally steadfast appreciation for each and every moment, new faces and the familiar, rainy days and sunny ones.
Jane was a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, hard-worker, and, on top of it all, a deeply thoughtful person who believed that the secret to living a good life was to “keep it simple.” She believed in positive thinking, striving to maintain a cheerful outlook even in difficult times. Whenever Jane entered a room, she positively filled it with her tender, nurturing, and youthful energy. Jane leaves us with an abundance of fond memories, from her love of cooking for family and friends to her many travels that kept the bonds of family and tradition alive. She had a strong faith in God, into whose loving arms she now resides.
Friends and family may call on the Downes family from 5:00pm to 8:00pm on Friday, June 24, 2022 at
the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Road, Wethersfield. A Mass of Christian Burial celebrating
Jane’s life will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 10:00am, at the Church of the Incarnation, 544
Prospect St., Wethersfield. All attendees are asked to go directly to church. Burial will be private and at
the convenience of the family. For further information, or to leave a condolence, please visit
FarleySullivan.com