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Carmen Bonvini Strickland of Westbrook passed away peacefully from pancreatic cancer at the age of 85. She was born and raised in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Carmen was the daughter of Enis and Angelo Paternostro. She graduated at St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing in Elmira New York. She worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital as a registered nurse for many years. Carmen retired from the US Postal Service as their human resource specialist.

Carmen enjoyed working in her garden, walks on the beach with her dog, Jackie, and cooking. Anyone who visited couldn’t leave without one of her special home-cooked meals. She would be willing to give you the contents of her refrigerator if you let her. She enjoyed living in her small shoreline town with great friends and neighbors. Carmen got to know all that she met by their first name, especially her favorite shops along the shoreline where she frequently visited. At first meeting she had an uncanny ability to learn your life story. Carmen enjoyed line dancing and yoga at the Westbrook Senior Center.

She was predeceased by her first husband John Bonvini; her son Peter; her second husband Harry Strickland; brothers Louie and Tom; brother-in-law Bob; and also her beloved dog Jackie, an 18-year-old Jack Russell Terrier.

Carmen leaves behind son John (Angie) Bonvini; daughter Cindy (Bob) Spaziani; and grandchildren Katrina (Mike), John (Haniyyah), Peter, Robert, and Eric. She also leaves great-grandchildren Carmen-Sophia, Jayda, John, and Nuriyyah; brother Joe; sister Rita; three sisters-in-law, Jean, Jean, and Marty; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Services will be private at her request. Burial will take place in St. Lawrence Cemetery in West Haven.