Jean F. Bronson

Jean F. Bronson, 89, of Avon, formerly of Farmington, died Thursday, April 17, 2020 at the Residence at Brookside. She was the beloved wife of William R. (Bill) Bronson, M.D. who predeceased her in 2019. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. the daughter of the late James A. Fredrickson and Louise Magna Fredrickson, Jean grew up in Brooklyn and Ohio. She graduated from Oberlin College in 1952 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She subsequently went to Wesleyan in Middletown, CT where she obtained a master’s degree in Zoology. While at Wesleyan, she met Bill and the couple married in 1954. While Bill continued his studies at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, Jean worked at Kodak and as an elementary school teacher until they started their family. By the time they settled in West Hartford in 1966, they had four children with one more arriving in 1967. Jean’s life was a whirlwind of activities and her family never ceased to be amazed how much she accomplished in any given day. When her children were young, she spent countless hours supporting their activities including hockey, baseball, figure skating, swimming and music lessons. She challenged her children to get a good education and was always there with her support and encouragement. Jean was a bright, curious person committed to a life of learning. If something aroused her curiosity she would learn as much as possible about that subject. Some of her passions included gardening, investing, weaving, swimming, figure skating and tennis. She took great satisfaction in helping others. She volunteered as a reading tutor in the Hartford schools and spent many hours supporting the blind and visually impaired Artisans at the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center. She was involved in a number of other volunteer organizations in her lifetime; she was generous with her time and energy. Jean was a kind and supportive mother and grandmother. She cherished all seven of her grandchildren and was proud of them all. She loved the annual family gathering at Squam Lake in New Hampshire where she spent seven days swimming, boating and catching up with all of her grandchildren. She loved to travel and had very fond memories of her trips to England, Scotland, France and Sweden. In her later years she loved her bus trips to NYC where she spent many hours at museums and shows. Jean was a longtime member of the Town and County Club where she enjoyed many dinners, events and her weekly duplicate bridge games. Jean was a longtime active member of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Hartford. There will be a graveside service at the Swedish Cemetery in Portland for close family members only due to current conditions. Jean is survived by five children and their families, James P. Bronson and his children Callum and Nicola of Gilford, NH; Ellen Young and her husband Vincent of Brookfield; Karen Peterson, her husband Josh, and her children Madison, Nathaniel, and Caroline of Seekonk, MA; William R. Bronson, Jr. of Farmington; and Paul N. Bronson, his wife Jenny, and their children, Kate and Lucas of West Hartford. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. For online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeenconnecticut.com.