Obituary of June Fava

June (Mathewson) Fava, 78, of New Britain, wife of Dr. Richard E. Fava, died peacefully Friday morning (February 23, 2007) at Andrew House Healthcare in New Britain. The daughter of the late Raymond and Winifred (Doherty) Mathewson, she was born June 25, 1928 in Meriden but lived most of her life in New Britain. She was a graduate of New Britain High School, class of 1946, and received her bachelor�s and master�s degrees in education from Teachers College of Connecticut (now Central Connecticut State University) and did graduate work at Columbia University and the University of Colorado. In the 1950s she taught children of American military personnel in the United States Army Dependant School in Mannheim and Augsburg, Germany and, during her tenure there, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Holy Land. She then returned to New Britain and taught first grade for many years at Thomas Jefferson School. She also was elementary school librarian for state teacher training schools in New Britain and a supervising teacher for student teachers in training. In later years, she was the Newspaper in Education Coordinator for the New Britain Herald. Mrs. Fava was a member of Shuttle Meadow Country Club where she enjoyed swimming, golf with the ladies� 9-hole group, and, as an avid reader, her regular book group discussions. She also loved to play bridge with her bridge group of 40 years and enjoyed doing the New York Times crossword puzzle each Sunday. She was also active in the New Britain Women�s Club, the New Britain Museum of American Art, and Literacy Volunteers. In earlier days she enjoyed skiing, horseback riding at Hungerford Stables, and world travel, including several transatlantic crossings by steamship and propeller plane, bicycle trips throughout France and the Netherlands, and, in 1963, a month-long honeymoon trip across the United States with her husband. In recent years she and her husband traveled frequently, and they were most fond of Northern Italy. Their last trip was in 2005 to Rome and the Amalfi Coast, with a return trip to the Lake Region in Northern Italy planned for last fall when she was diagnosed with brain cancer. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her daughter Eileen M. Fava of Weston, MA and her husband Michael McCarthy, two grandchildren Duncan and Paige McCarthy, her sister Patricia Spring of Kensington, two nieces, Kate Spring and Polly Perkins, and a nephew, Peter Spring. Funeral services will be held Tuesday 9:30 A.M. from the Farrell Funeral Home 110 Franklin Sq. New Britain with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 A.M. at St. Maurice Church 100 Wightman Road New Britain. Burial will follow in Maple Cemetery, Berlin. Visitation will be on Monday from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Donations may be made in Mrs. Fava�s memory to the New Britain Museum of American Art 56 Lexington St. New Britain, CT 06052 or to the New Britain Youth Museum at Hungerford Park 191 Farmington Avenue Berlin, CT 06037.