Connie McGuinness

Concetta “Connie” McGuinness, 83, of Ridgefield, passed away peacefully on September 15, 2025. She was the loving wife of Dennis G. McGuinness, her childhood sweetheart and husband of 62 years.

Connie was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on December 14, 1941, just a week after Pearl Harbor. While her father, John Cassella, served in the Army Air Corps in Europe, Connie and her mother, Gaetana “Kate,” lived with her Italian grandparents. There, she spoke fluent Italian and spent her childhood learning how to cook, bake, and make homemade pasta alongside her grandmother. Food and family were at the heart of her early years, shaping a love of tradition that stayed with her for life.

Soon after, the family moved from Brooklyn to 70th Road in Forest Hills, Queens. Connie, the firstborn daughter, shared a close and loving bond with her siblings, Marilyn and Vincent. The Cassella family lived within walking distance of their extended family. 

On her very first day at PS 144, Connie’s cousin, Nicky Greico, introduced her to his best friend Dennis who was instantly smitten with her. That schoolyard meeting grew into a 75-year long friendship and love story—one that became the foundation of Connie and Dennis’ cherished family.

Connie’s devotion to caring for others became evident early on in her life. As a teenager, she volunteered as a “candy striper” at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Williamsburg, taking the bus every weekend to assist others. She went on to graduate as a registered nurse from St. Catherine’s School of Nursing in 1962. Connie began her career as a pediatric nurse at Nassau Hospital, where she was known for her compassion. She had a gift for drawing out people’s stories, and patients, friends, and even strangers found themselves opening up to her with ease. 

In 1963, Connie and Dennis married and settled in Levittown, Long Island, where they built a life together. Though moving away from her close-knit Italian family was not easy, Connie embraced the adventure of creating a home of her own.

People loved to be around her. Her warmth and generosity—these were the qualities that defined her. She made everyone feel like family, whether they knew her for years or had just met her.

She spread love through food in ways big and small. If she had a medical appointment, you can be sure the whole office would end up with cakes, one for each person. Her kitchen was always full—full of the smell of pasta, baking, and laughter. Anyone who walked into her home was welcomed with open arms and usually left with a plate of something delicious.

Her greatest devotion, however, was to her family. Connie poured her heart into raising her four daughters—Maria, Carolyn, Christine and Courtney—creating a home filled with love, laughter, and tradition. She delighted in holidays and gatherings. Later, she embraced her sons-in-law—Michael, Taavo, and Scott—into the family with the same generosity of spirit.

Connie’s family grew to include eight grandchildren—Sean, Meghan, Lily, Sophia, Ryan, Tessa, Isla—and most recently, a great-granddaughter, Olivia. Each of them was the light of her life. To Connie, family was everything—La Famiglia was not just tradition but the masterpiece of her life’s work.

Connie was the true matriarch of the family. She will be remembered as a devoted daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, nurse and friend. She was a woman whose kindness, loyalty and warmth drew people in, and whose love for her family created a legacy that will live on through generations.

Family and friends will be received on Friday, September 19, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home; 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM in Saint Mary's Church; 55 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield. Interment will take place privately. Contributions in Connie's memory may be made to RVNA Health and Hospice - 27 Governor Street; Ridgefield, CT 06877 or online, http://www.rvnahealth.org