Jeanne Marguerite Craffey Honan, 92, of Newtown died peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on March 9 at the Regional Hospice Center for Comfort Care and Healing in Danbury.

Born in St Paul, Minn., in 1924, she grew up in Dorchester, Mass., and moved to Newtown when she married William A. Honan, Jr, in 1947. There she raised eight children and was involved in numerous community and civic organizations.

She was a tireless advocate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and worked with other families with special needs children, the Connecticut Legislature, and then-Governor John Dempsey to establish the Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation and a class for children with special needs in Newtown. In addition, Mrs Honan was a volunteer for Meals On Wheels, the Visiting Nurse Association, and Danbury Hospital. She served for many years on the Board of Trustees of Southbury Training School as well as on the Board of the C.H. Booth Library. She was also a longtime member the Newtown Woman's Club and a communicant of St Rose of Lima Church.

A warm-hearted and gracious woman, Mrs Honan was an avid gardener and cook. However, her greatest joy was her family.

Her children and spouses, Daniel T. and Colleen Honan of Newtown, Rita and Paul Crana of Danbury, Patricia and Thomas Carey of Westport, Eleanor and John Callanan of Burdett, N.Y., Joan Bohlin of Dennis, Mass., Maureen Honan of Torrington, and Bridget and Michael Loughney of Westport survive her.

Eleven grandchildren, Christopher Bohlin, Katie Waters, Shannon Schamel, Neil Callanan, Meaghan Carey, Michael Carey, Brian Carey, Eileen Stabbe, Patrick Honan, Molly Loughney, and Daniel Loughney; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews also survive her.

She was preceded in death by her husband William "Bill" Honan, Jr, her son John "Jack" Honan, and her son-in-law Albert "Chip" Bohlin, as well as two brothers and two sisters.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in St Rose of Lima Church on Thursday, March 16, at 10:30 am. Interment will follow in St Rose Cemetery. Friends may call at the Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, on Wednesday, March 15, from 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 8 pm.

Memorial contributions may be made to Regional Hospice and Palliative Care, 30 Milestone Road, Danbury CT 06810 or at regionalhospicect.org.

The Newtown Bee         March 17, 2017