Lillian Marie Ferris, 97, formally of Colchester passed away Dec 23, 2025, at the Masonicare Health Center from their Wright Residence apartments in Wallingford where she had resided the last years of her life. She was predeceased by her loving husband Benjamin in 2002, her parents Phillip and Aurora Daigneault and her siblings, Phillip jr and Eugene Daigneault, Viola Batrano and Rita Tessier, a great granddaughter, Raven Cusano and a grandson, T C. Longey.

Lillian leaves her oldest son Steven Ferris of Florida, her daughter Rhonda Whalen and her companion Thomas J. Veno of Hamden, James and Linda Ferris of Dayville, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Lillian, born in Stamford VT, suffered from polio starting at a very young age and had very little use of her right arm. She had a very difficult childhood as she, her mother and her siblings were all separated. She lived on the Mohawk trail in Massachusetts for a while with her father before his early passing. While there, she had to go out to a stream and gather water to carry home even through heavy snow. Life on the mountain wasn't easy.

Despite her lifelong disability, Lillian started work at a very young age at the Hoosac cotton mill in North Adams Mass. Later she moved to Hartford where she worked at the Underwood typewriter factory. After her children grew up, she returned back to work and became an accomplished seamstress at Dana Fashions in Colchester. When Dana Fashions closed, she continued to use her sewing skills at Levine and Levine clothing making high quality coats.

Even with polio, Lillian found a way to play the guitar, piano, the harmonica and the accordion. She learned to tap dance in her teens and early twenties sang harmony with her three girlfriends and would frequently go with them to Dude Ranches where she learned to ride, love horses, and entertain people with her amazing voice and guitar playing.

In her twenties she sang frequently at a restaurant in Sound View of Old Lyme at a place called Micky's. For payment Micky would give her a bowl of spaghetti. She was unaware for some time that Micky would add a little more spaghetti each time and make bets with the staff as to whether she could eat all of it! Despite her petite size, she never failed in winning the bet for Micky! Many years later when Lillian moved to Florida for a short while she met a woman originally from Connecticut. This woman recalled Lillian's great guitar playing and singing at Micky's. Sound View was also the place she met her beloved husband Benjamin who was a Navy man. Once married, they had three children in Hartford.

In 1967, Lil and Ben moved to Colchester where they made their home and continued to raise their three children. Lillian and her family were communicants at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Colchester. She was very devout in her faith.

Lillian was known as the 2nd mom to all the neighborhood children. She loved to cook, feed, and entertain with her singing, guitar or piano playing to family and friends alike. Lillian and Ben shared many interests and talents. Both were very creative. Drawing, painting, landscaping, gardening were just a few. She became skilled at canning fresh vegetables and was happy to share them.

Most importantly, Lillian will be remembered by her family as a strong willed, hardworking woman who was loving and always giving.

She will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.

A special note of gratefulness and gratitude for Lillian's daughter Rhonda who sacrificed so much to take care of her in the last years of her life. Thank you with much love.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at a later date. At St. Andrew Church, 128 Norwich Ave. Colchester. Burial will be private in the New St. Andrew Cemetery. A special thanks to Affinity Hospice for their end of life care. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lillians memory may be made to the American Heart and Lung Association. The Aurora-McCarthy Funeral Home of Colchester has been entrusted with care of arrangements. For online condolences or to share a story of Lillian, please visit www.auroramccarthyfuneralhome.com