Alice May Cornell, 93, of Southbury, beloved wife of Robert W. Cornell, died January 27 at Danbury Hospital, after a brief illness. A longtime resident of Newtown, she was born January 18, 1925, in New Bedford, Mass., a daughter of Mary N. (Enos) and Anthony E. Sylvia.

Mrs Cornell graduated from New Bedford High School in 1943. Subsequently, she attended the New Bedford Textile Institute and was employed in the research laboratory of Aerovox Corporation in New Bedford from 1943 to 1951. She and her husband and sons lived first in Taunton and then North Dighton, Mass., from 1952 to 1960; moved to Illinois in 1960, where they lived in Park Forest, Zion, and Winthrop Harbor; and then in 1967 moved to Newtown. She and her husband remained in Newtown until they moved to Southbury in 2012.

From 1969 to 1977, Mrs Cornell worked at D.M. Read in Danbury in sales and clerical. She was a member of St Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown since 1967; was a charter member of the St Rose Women's Club and was a member of the St Rose Home and School Association while two of her sons attended St Rose School. Beginning in 1985 and continuing for a number of years, she was a member of and volunteer at the Newtown Senior Center. In retirement, Mrs Cornell also became an enthusiastic quilter.

In 2001, she was recognized as the oldest living former Girl Scout in Newtown, having been a dedicated Girl Scout in New Bedford from 1937 to 1941.

Her husband of 69 years, Robert W. Cornell, and her three sons and their wives, Robert and Linda Cornell of Dewey, Ariz.; Richard and Karen Cornell of Stamford; and David Cornell of Miami, Fla., survive her. She is also survived by three grandchildren and their spouses, Amanda and Eric Gagnon of Enfield, Sean and Ashley Cornell, also of Enfield, and Richard Cornell and Elena Kozlova of Hartford; three great-grandsons; her sister Marilyn Smith of Lancaster, S.C.; and several loving nieces and nephews.

Her twin sons, William and Anthony, and her sister Louise predeceased her.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown, at 4 pm, on Friday, February 2. Interment in South Dartmouth Cemetery in Dartmouth, Mass., will be in the spring.

Contributions in memory of Mrs Cornell may be made to the St Catherine Center for Special Needs in Fairfield at stcatherinecenter.org; the St Rose of Lima Church Memorial Fund at strosechurch.com; St Jude Children's Research Hospital at stjude.org; or to any charity of one's choice.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown.

To leave an online condolence, visit honanfh.com.