Frances (Veltroni) Tomala-Sosnowski

Frances (Veltroni) Tomala-Sosnowski, 89, of Torrington, CT, died May 16, 2023, just two weeks shy of her 90th birthday. She was born on May 30, 1933, to Gino & Giulia (Rossi) Veltroni of
Torrington and Monte San Savino, Italy. Fran, (aka “Grandmamafran” as her grandkids call her, or “Francesca” as her Italian relatives call her) had a turbulent early life but you would never know it. She had a permanent smile on her face and was so genuinely kind to everyone she met. In her adolescent years she was forced to grapple with the tragic death of her mother & her
sister Ginetta Zordan after being in a train-car accident with them in Canaan, CT.
Born with a heart defect, Fran was one of the first patients in the state of CT to successfully receive open heart surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital, immediately after the birth of her son,
Drew. None of these things stopped her and in fact may have contributed to her entrepreneurial spirit. She was hardworking, helping her father with his grape distribution business every fall, moving and delivering crates of grapes to customers in northwest CT and western MA. Whether it was bookkeeping for her husband, Andy Tomala, at Andy’s TV Service, owning & running Fran’s Liquor Locker, working for the Cohen Real Estate Agency as an agent, or being a volunteer with Sacred Heart Church & Sacred Heart School, she did it whole-heartedly.
She did all these things while raising 3 children as well as being considered a traditional homemaker. She loved to bake for her family - bread, biscuits, pizzelle, pecan crescents...and
kolach with her dear friend, Marie Roy. Even after losing her husband, Andy, she remained a pillar of strength and stability for her family.
She married Ed Sosnowski and began spending time between Torrington, CT and Tequesta, FL, where she enjoyed playing bocce, bowling, working as an election day volunteer and secretary
for the Little Club community where they lived. 

She was so proud of her Italian heritage and loved visiting her family’s hometown of Monte San Savino in Tuscany. There she was comfortable, independent, & completely in her element with
her relatives, speaking fluent Italian. In her more recent years, she enjoyed watching and spending time with all of her grandchildren & great grandchildren. She also made many happy memories with John (Cynthia), Bob (Kate), Mark (Patty) Sosnowski and their families. We know she will be watching over us all from the best, most care-free seat in the house with a smile on her face.
She is survived by her husband Edward Sosnowski, her 2 daughters: Andrienne Longobucco (and her husband, Joe), and Patti Mascetti (and her husband, Bill), 6 grandchildren: Daniel Longobucco, Kimberly Baker (Jeff) Jacquelyn Katz (Jared), Elaina Fealy (Bryan), Christina Meleski (Kyle), Alissa Boyle (Chris) and 8 greatgrandchildren with one more on the way, and
her nephews Rory Fargo and Gerald Zordan, who were always close to her heart. She is predeceased by her first husband Andy Tomala and her son, Drew Tomala.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Peter’s Church in Torrington at 11am on Monday May 22, 2023, followed by a private burial at the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online to Communitysystems.org Please donate to CSI Connecticut to honor Fran’s grandson Daniel, who lives in a CSI group home.
Donations may also be mailed to: Community Systems, Inc 295 Alvord Park Road Torrington CT 06790
The family would like to specifically thank the “angel” nurse on the 5th floor of Charlotte Hungerford Hospital who was able to keep her peaceful.

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