Josephine Steffens Bojnowski, 98, of Newington and Newtown, died peacefully June 18. She was the beloved wife of the late Henry Bojnowski. Born in the Bronx, N.Y., she was the daughter of the late Pauline and Joseph Steffens, and niece to the late Monsignor Lucian Bojnowski.

Mrs Bojnowski was an active member of Church of the Holy Spirit in Newington, while living there. For the past 16 years she resided in Newtown, and was a member of St Rose of Lima.

She retired from the Newington School System after nearly 25 years of service, starting as a grade school teacher, and then became the supervisor the schools' Language Arts program. Governor Ella Grasso bestowed the Outstanding Educator’s Award for her work to teach children to read. Mrs Bojnowski was also an adjunct professor at Central Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford, helping to prepare aspiring teachers in the field of remedial reading. 

What began with an enjoyment of attending travelogues cultivated a passion for world travel that led to trips to places as distant as Russia, Alaska, Latin America, and Europe.

A loving and devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she leaves her son, Joseph Bojnowski, and his wife Jane, of Newtown; her five grandchildren, Perry, Wendy, Chad, Laura, and John, and ten great-grandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate her life will take place Wednesday, June 24, at 10 am, at St Rose of Lima, Newtown. She will be laid to rest in Saint Mary’s Cemetery in New Britain, with her husband. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St Rose of Lima Church, 46 Church Hill Road, Newtown CT 06470. To share a memory with her family visit www.honanfh.com.