Bernardine Velgot Butcaris

Bernardine Mary (Velgot) Butcaris, age 89 of Milford, CT, passed away on January 9, 2022. She was born
to the late Stanley Blaise and Marie (Rickey) Velgot in McAdoo, PA.

After moving to Bridgeport, CT in 1941, she attended and graduated from Harding High School in 1949. She attended The Pratt Institute
in Brooklyn, NY where she earned her degree in Costume Design. After graduation she worked at Lord & Taylor in New York before returning to Bridgeport and working at Warner Brothers.

She married Michael, the love of her life, on December 28, 1957. She chose to stay home and raise her children in Trumbull where they lived for over thirty years. There was always a large garden which always had strawberries, flowers, and mint along with other vegetables. Her design background was the basis for another passion of hers: arts and crafts. Whether it was her glass bottle candle holders, her clothespin dolls or one of her famous, hand knit “Wallabies” that she made, she found joy in giving them to her children and, later, her grandchildren.

She loved to cook. She spent her time working on such family favorites as her homemade pizzas (a Friday night staple), Greek delicacies (traditional New Year’s Day peta), her own original ‘Kielbasa Nightmare” and of course, her famous Christmas morning standby: homemade pierogi. She graced all her loved ones with personalized ice cream cakes, each unique to the recipient’s personal tastes.When Michael was given an early retirement, they embarked on their dream career as “Missa and Grampy”. Over the next two decades, they did stints helping each of their children by babysitting. They attended countless baseball, basketball and football games along with dozens of plays, recitals and
concerts that their grandchildren were in.

In 1995, they finally sold their house in Trumbull, when she found her “dream house” on the Green in Milford. After spending much time redesigning the layout, the house was finally completed in 1996 and she lived there until 2020.

She was predeceased by her husband Michael, her sister Gloria (Velgot) Lampugnale and her brother
Stanley James Velgot.

She is survived by her three devoted children Michael Butcaris and his wife Sheree of Beacon Falls, CT, Cecilia Urbanowicz and her husband Richard of Milford, CT and Gregory Butcaris and his wife Candis of Naples, FL.; six loving grandchildren, Raymond Browning and his wife Lindsay, Jessica Toman and her husband Bradley, Matthew Butcaris and his wife Jessica, Nicolina Pugliese and her husband Gary, Gregory Butcaris and his wife Anna and Eric Urbanowicz and his fiancé Natalie Barletta; eight beloved great-grandchildren, Arya, Leo, Michael, Grace, James, Colby, Mackenzie and Cono as well as manynieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the tremendous staff at Seacrest Retirement Center of West Haven, CT
for the amazing care they gave Bernardine over the last eighteen months of her life.

Friends and family are invited to attend her funeral services on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. directly at St. Stephen's Church, 6948  Main St. Trumbull. Interment in Long Hill Cemetery. Friends may pay their respects on Friday from 4-7 p.m. at the Cyril F. Mullins Funeral Home, 399 White Plains Rd. Trumbull, CT. (masks are required)

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.

To leave an online condolence please visit mullinsfh.com

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