John A. Conlea

John Conlea of Brookfield, CT, died peacefully at Candlewood Valley Nursing Home on August 6, 2023. 

John was born in Danbury on January 11th, 1945, to John C. and Antionette (Tangredi) Conlea. He graduated from Danbury High School (class of 1962) and attended Quinnipiac College. He married the love of his life Lenette in 1967. John worked as a medical laboratory technologist at Danbury Hospital for 33 years, and then as a paramedical examiner after his retirement.

He owned and operated an Ice Cream truck in his earlier years, where he would often give away popsicles to less fortunate children. He owned a pretzel stand during the Danbury Fair, where he enjoyed interacting with the fair goers. He was hard working and provided the best for his family. He was very proud of his home in Danbury. He loved working outside in his yard and planting flowers, along with golfing, bowling and listening to 50’s music. He enjoyed family vacations to Wildwood Crest, NJ. John was an avid New York Giants and Yankees fan. Most of all, he loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. John was caring and would help people whenever needed. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He made friends easily and always kept them. He was a proud veteran and served in the United States Army.

He will be sadly missed by his loving wife Lenette, daughters Sherylyn DosSantos (Maurice) and Michele Fisher (Dan) as well as grandchildren Maurisa, Zachary and Luke, his brother Jerry Conlea, and numerous cousins and many friends. John's family would like to extend special thanks to the Candlewood Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center for their wonderful and compassionate care in his final weeks.

A celebration of life gathering will be held on Thursday August 10,2023 from 3pm to 5pm with a prayer service at 4:30 pm at the Danbury Memorial Funeral Home 117 South St Danbury Ct 

They also request in lieu of flowers (due to allergies) to please send donations to St. Jude’s and Shriners Hospitals in John's memory.

My Life My Story

A letter written by John Conlea

I was born in Danbury, CT and worked at Danbury Hospital for 33 years. I was a clinical lab night supervisor.

I’m a proud family man. I worked hard and raised a family. I worked two or three jobs, a lot of the times, put my two girls through college and did the best I could. I enjoyed doing it and I did it for my family.

I have one brother, but we haven’t spoken in a bunch of years. It’s sad because I love him to death, and he is my own blood, but we had an outing before and that was it. He doesn’t know that I’m sick either and I don’t want to use my sickness as an excuse to call him.

I joined the Army at age 20 and very proudly served for two years. I was a med tech in the Army too. I got married at 22, had my first daughter at 23 and the second one, I had at 25. They are very close in age and very close to one another. Good girls, I couldn’t ask for anything better. MY wife is a good woman too. I’m very lucky, very, very lucky. The Lord looked down on me. I don’t know why, but I knew he did.

I love my wife immensely. I promised myself that I would protect her until the day I died, and I gave her everything that I could afford to give her. Unfortunately, now I’m near the end and I can’t protect her anymore and that hurts.

Other than that, I have three grandchildren, two boys and a girl and they are the love of my life. Everything that I have, the Lord blessed me with everything.

If it wasn’t for this gas problem, or whatever the hell it is, I wouldn’t even know that I had this sickness but according to the doctors, it’s killing me.

I’m still hoping that things will turn around and get better. I’m working on that. I’m looking forward to going to rehab to get my legs stronger and my arms stronger so I can do things independently. That’s important for me.

For years, I have helped other people. Now I need people to help me, but I want to help myself too. I helped a lot of people over the years. My kids looked up to me and other people looked up to me. I didn’t help because I wanted any praise or anything, I did it because it had to be done.

I know that time is coming, it comes for every one of us. We are all on a highway, we just have different exits. That’s the way I look at it.

I lived a good life, I never hurt anybody that I know of and if I did, I’m sorry that I did.

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