Constance Michel

Constance Michel, age 90, of Wayne, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 13, 2018.

Connie was born and raised in Paterson where she was a graduate of Central High School. During her childhood, she grew up with a young kid in the neighborhood named George Michel. Connie and George grew up to become high school sweethearts which ultimately lead to talks of marriage. At the time, George was in the U.S. Army but, thinking that a problem with his eye would keep him from being deployed, they set a wedding date for October 22, 1949. Much to his surprise, the Army deployed George anyway so, right after the wedding, Connie went to their new home on North 9th Street in Paterson while George put on his uniform and headed to Panama. The newlyweds were able to be reunited for a brief time while George was on leave and upon his return to civilian life, Connie introduced him to Douglas, their new baby boy. In the following years, Doug was joined by two younger brothers, Craig and George “Scott.” In 1959, the Michel’s purchased property in the “farmlands of Wayne” and, a year later, they moved into their brand new home on Ridge Place in Wayne’s Lions Head Lake section.

Connie truly enjoyed her primary calling of mother and homemaker. Her boys meant everything to her and they could do no wrong. She loved spoiling her family with her fine cooking and family favorites included her linguine and white clam sauce, homemade ziti, meatballs, and stuffed pepper recipes, to name a few. She took great pride in her house, making it a home where everyone wanted to gather after a long day at work or school and also on the holidays. Always doing her best to keep the house in pristine condition, all the neighbors referred to the Michel home as the dollhouse on the block.

Connie loved to go shopping. She was fastidious about her appearance and Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Sterns and Nordstrom usually had the fashions she was looking for. She was also one of QVC’s best customers especially when it came to the purchase of cosmetics but Connie also used the home shopping club to purchase gifts for family and friends. She kept a stock of nice gifts in her home, always ready to give a happy recipient for whatever the occasion might be. She was very generous and the gifts she gave were always truly thoughtful.  

If you ever needed advise on which horse to bet on, Connie was the person to ask. It seemed that she was always calling the winners. One time she correctly bet three trifectas in one night and she recently called the winning horse in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Connie knew her horses and it came from lots of time studying the newspapers, but it was all in good fun.

Connie loved spending time with her family. Fall time was always looked forward to for the Army football games at West Point. It was a family tradition and it always started with breakfast at West Point’s Thayer Hotel. She and her husband George enjoyed traveling together. Every year they took the train to Florida for a vacation in the summer and they also enjoyed trips to Puerto Rico and cruises including one on the Queen Mary with her much-loved sister Olivia and brother-in-law Pete. Connie and her sister Olivia were very close. She would refer to Olivia as her “Best friend ever” and when Olivia passed away, Connie would express almost every day how much she missed her.

Connie always felt so grateful to be blessed with such a loving family. Her husband George was her life-long true dear sweetheart. Even during the seven years that he was receiving dialysis treatment, she faithfully stood by his side as his most loving caregiver. The extra TLC that George received from Connie allowed for them to have a relatively good life in the later years of their marriage until George’s passing in 1999. Four years ago, she moved in with her son Scott and daughter-in-law Donna. Her spirits really picked up having the constant company and wonderful sense of community. It was fun to be in the same house as her two grandsons too and she would frequently give them some cash and send them out for takeout. In fact, Connie fell in love with the concept of “takeout” and she could often be heard saying things like “Go get me a bucket of chicken” or “Do we have any menus for that place?” or “What should we order today?” Yes, it was good to be living with Scott and his family but the many miles could not keep her away from her son Craig either. Over the course of the last three summers, she really enjoyed going to see him and his wife Carrie at their house in Florida. Connie’s grandchildren were equally special to her. Her sole granddaughter Heather was the apple of her eye, and Jeffrey, her first grandson, followed by Connor and Chad was the start of her next chapter. She was their biggest fan and admirer at all their football and hockey games, concerts, plays and recitals. Her great-grandchildren were the icing on the cake! Just this past October, Connie got to celebrate her 90th birthday party and who better to be around than her grandchildren’s children! Connie loved to eat and, though she was just a little lady, she celebrated that 90th year of her life by enjoying two lobster dinners in one day.

Connie was the beloved wife of George, blessed in marriage for 49 years until his passing in 1999. She was the loving mother of Douglas and wife Debbie Michel of Wayne, Craig and wife Carrie Michel of Ormond Beach, FL, and Scott and wife Donna Michel of Wayne; cherished grandmother of: Heather and husband Tom Clarke, Jeffrey and Michelle Michel, Connor Michel and Chad Michel; adoring great-grandmother of: Olivia, Kayleigh, Rowan, and Zinnia; dear aunt of Donna Argenta; and “best friends” sister of the late Olivia Argenta.

In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Connie’s name are asked to consider the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memorial Processing 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or at www.stjude.org