Friday, September 16, 2011

9/16

This is Elizabeth Brady Cotjanle's mother in law, please keep them all in your prayers.

Evelyn Cotjanle
COTJANLE, Evelyn Ward, 82, died at her home in Orange on September 12, 2011 after a long illness. She was the widow of Theodore E. Cotjanle to whom she was married for 41 years. Born in New Haven on April 2, 1929, she was the daughter of Ruth E. Nanfeldt and Leon K. Ward who resided in Fair Haven. Having attended Commercial High in New Haven, Mrs. Cotjanle was a proud graduate of the University of Connecticut and a loyal member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Soon after marrying in 1954, Evelyn and her husband moved to Orange and began to become deeply involved in the community. Among her many activities, she taught in the Orange elementary schools for 15 years during which time she earned a teaching certificate and Masters degree in Education from Southern Connecticut State College. She also joined the Orange Garden Club and became very active in the Church of the Good Shepherd. At church, she was, at different times, a Sunday School Teacher, the Sunday School Superintendent, President of the Episcopal Church Women and Circle Chairman, and a member of the Prayer Group and Rector Search Committee. Later, she led outreach efforts for the church with the House of Jacob and was one of the founders of Summer Encounter children's program sponsored by area churches and synagogues. In 1980, she started her career as a real estate agent at the Beazley Company. She went on to have a successful career of approximately 22 years until she retired in 2002. During these years, Evelyn was frequently among the company's top producing agents statewide and, in 1987, was named Residential Salesperson of the Year. Known warmly to her many friends and colleagues as "Evie", she leaves, with her love and affection, her son, Theodore Cotjanle and his wife Elizabeth and two grandchildren, her son, Ross L. Cotjanle, and a sister-in-law Anne Foglia. Evelyn was a very charismatic woman with tremendous energy and great personality. Her generous heart and kind soul will be missed by those whose lives she touched. Evelyn loved her work in real estate, was an avid tennis fan, enjoyed bridge, gardening, and being with her friends. Memorial contributions may be to one of the following: the Memorial Fund of the Church of the Good Shepherd, 680 Racebrook Rd, Orange CT 06477; The Case Memorial Library Gift Fund, 176 Tyler City Road, Orange, CT 06477: or The University of Connecticut Foundation, 2390 Alumni Drive, Storrs, CT 06269. The service will be held at 11 am on Thursday September 15, 2011 in the Church of the Good Shepherd. Burial will follow at the Orange Center Cemetery. The Hawley Lincoln Funeral Home, at 493 Whitney Avenue, is in charge of arrangements.