Marguerite Munger

Marguerite “Marge” Kieran Munger, 73, of Stamford, passed away peacefully after a brief illness on Thursday, May 23, surrounded by her family and friends at Stamford Hospital. She was born in Norwalk on May 1, 1940 to the late John V. and Lucy Hall Kieran. Marge was a graduate of Lauralton Hall in Milford. She attended Marymount College, in Tarrytown, NY and finished her schooling at The Wood School in New York City. Before marriage she was an executive secretary at CBS Laboratories in Stamford. Marge traveled with her husband for six years in the Marine Corps and was an FBI wife for 25 years. After living all over the U.S., the family returned to Connecticut in 1976 and settled in Stamford. Marge was a former PTA President of Roxbury School, a Cub Scout Den Mother, former Co-Chair of the Alzheimer’s Fundraising Committee, a former Adult Leader of St. Leo Youth Group, a Eucharistic Minister and Parish Council member of St. Leo Parish, a member of the City of Stamford’s Commission on Aging, and the Soup Kitchen Coordinator for St. Leo Parish. At the time of her death, Marge had worked as the office manager for her dear friend, Dr. Bruce Baron, for 33 years. Marge spent her entire life creating a love-filled legacy, with an amazing set of memories for anyone who was lucky enough to have called her wife, mom, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. She shared her love over the years with so many people that when it was her turn to receive prayers, the prayers she offered for others were returned a hundred fold. The family is so appreciative of all the prayers, caring and love shown to Marge in the last weeks of her life, particularly by the extraordinary caring staff of Stamford Hospital. Marge is survived by her loving husband of 49 years, Christopher Munger; her daughter, Colleen Munger Tuozzolo and her husband, Scott, of Newark, DE; her sons, Christopher J. Munger of Stamford, Michael P. Munger of Brooklyn, NY, and Bryan K. Munger and his wife, Jennifer, of Stamford; her grandchildren Paige, Bryan, Kyle Ann and Jack Munger, Brandon and Connor Tuozzolo, Skylar and Shaun Munger; her sisters, Marylou Kieran Bohn of Milford, CT, Elaine Kieran Gallery and husband, Walter, of Milton, MA, Eileen Kieran Miller and her husband, Doug, of Vero Beach, FL and Kathleen Munger Truino and her husband, Tony, of Naples, FL; plus 8 nieces and nephews and 4 great nieces and nephews. A funeral procession will be leaving the Nicholas F. Cognetta Funeral Home & Crematory, 104 Myrtle Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 on Wednesday, May 29 at 10 a.m. for a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Leo’s Parish, 24 Roxbury Road, Stamford. Interment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery, Norwalk. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 from 2 - 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Marge’s memory to the J.B.I. Foundation, PO Box 4484, Stamford, CT 06907 for the care of Riley Perna. To leave online condolences, please visit www.cognetta.com Riley June Perna was born prematurely weighing 1 pound 8 ounces in 2009 at Yale Children’s Hospital. She remained there for 9 months after her birth. Riley has several medical conditions which include Cerebral Palsy, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Cortical Vision Loss, Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Congenital Hypotonia, Subglotic Stenosis and G-Tube Dependence. Riley cannot sit independently, crawl, walk, talk, close her mouth, suck or swallow. Despite her disabilities, she attends school, with a nurse, at St. Vincent’s Special Needs School in Trumbull, Connecticut. There she receives Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech & Language and Vision Therapies. Parents, Greg and Jennifer, have privately funded alternative therapies such as Hyberbaric Therapy, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Medic Physical Therapy and Oral Motor Therapy. Some of these therapies are partially covered by insurance. However, most are not and are extremely expensive. Within the last year they have seen a significant change in Riley due to the combination of intense standard and alternative therapies she receives. Through therapy, their hope for Riley is that she will strengthen her core so she can sit up, walk, swallow and eventually have her tracheostomy removed. Marge was a strong and loving advocate for Riley since her birth. In honor of Marge's commitment to her, the family asks that in lieu of flowers donations are made to the J.B.I. Foundation to support the Perna family with Riley's ongoing care.