Vera C. Baran

Vera Baran, of Bethel CT, passed away on August 9, 2023 at Danbury Hospital. Vera was born in Jersey City, NJ on March 22 ,1941, to Frank and Caroline (DiVizio) Messina. She graduated from Union, NJ H.S. in 1958 and from Marietta (Ohio) College in 1962 with a BA degree. She married her fellow Marietta Classmate, Fred Baran in April 1963, in Westfield NJ.

After raising her Family, she began teaching History and Social Studies at Bethel High School in 1980 and moved to the new Bethel Middle School upon its opening to teach 8th Grade Students. She was a very popular Teacher during her 26-year teaching career, retiring in 2006, having taught some children of her former students. After retiring, she continued teaching, in Bethel, as a tutor, in the school system and took a lot of pride in helping her students attain their goals and graduate and go forward into the working world. She worked right up to the end of the 2022-2023 school year. She very much enjoyed getting together with former colleagues and remembering the experiences they enjoyed as teachers.

She was very close to her family members, who enjoyed getting together each summer at the Jersey shore and watching their children and grandchildren have fun in the sun and surf. Coming from a musical family, she enjoyed Broadway musicals and singing with her family at picnics and parties.

Vera was an excellent cook who enjoyed making delicious Italian dishes that she learned from her mother and could be found on Sunday mornings, stirring the gravy and tomato sauce for the evening pasta meals. She loved watching her grandchildren participate in sporting events around the state.

She is survived by her loving husband Fred, her daughter Victoria and sons Rick and Peter (Kristen) Baran as well as her grandchildren, Dan McGuire, Doug, Jack, Luke Baran and Nicole Popham. Also, her sisters; Cam Rohm (Maurice Tremblay) and Lucille Messina, her nieces; Kathleen and Emily Rohm, Aimee DelBello, Morgan Potter, Lisa Gentilcore, Danielle Henry, and her nephews; Frank Rohm, Ryan and Derrick Gentilcore and her cousins; Sandra Drew and Barbara Gentilcore.

Vera’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful nurses of the 11th floor oncology unit for their professional, medical skills and compassion, while she was in their care, especially Sarah and Dana. They would also like to thank Miranda, the manager of the Goldstone Caregiver Center for extending its use and comfort to the family during their very stressful time spent with their loved one, Vera.

The Family will receive Relatives and Friends on Wednesday August 16th at St. Mary Church 26 Dodgingtown Rd, Bethel at 9:30 AM with a Funeral Mass to follow. To send the family condolences please visit www.danburymemorial.com. 

In lieu of flowers, to please send donations to Autism Speaks or St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Vera's name. Danbury Memorial Funeral Home can provide online Obituaries and further information.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Vera C. Baran, please visit our floral store.