Gwendolyn (Smith) Wellman

October 11, 1933 - January 19, 2018

Gwendolyn Gosse (Smith) Wellman, 84, passed away at home on Friday evening. She was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late Dr. Garnet Polydore Smith and Lillian Eliza Gosse, and grew up in Attleboro, Massachusetts. She lived in New Britain for the last 59 years, with her husband Lindsley Wellman and family. Gwen was active in many New Britain organizations, including past president of the Jaycee wives; vice president for public relations of the New Britain Symphony; a docent at the New Britain Museum of American Art; a tour guide at the UCONN Medical Center; Chairman of the American Association of University Woman fund raising project; vice president of the Junior League of New Britain; Board of Directors of the New Britain YWCA; and a member of South Congregational Church for more than 40 years. She attended Jackson College at Tufts University where she majored in biology premed. Upon graduating in 1955, she worked at the New England Deaconess Hospital Cancer Research Institute, until she moved from Boston to be with her husband, who was in the army. For an enjoyable 15 years she was the administrator of the Cardiology Department at UCONN Medical Center, where on several occasions she traveled on a National Institutes of Health hospital evaluation team. She also served as the Area Coordinator of Westledge School, working in the admission office and in school student recruitment. An avid mystery reader, she also loved music, playing the piano, and drawing. She enjoyed the challenge of a good picture puzzle or crossword puzzle, and playing for many years with friends in the College Club Bridge Club. She always looked forward to the family trips during February school vacations to many of the islands of the Caribbean and summer trips to Cape Cod until a summer house was bought on Hamilton Reservoir in Holland, Massachusetts. Gwen loved her family and looked forward to the many family visits, especially with her four grandsons and her great-grand son. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Lindsley; her son Michael and his wife Colleen of Bridgewater, Connecticut, and their son Jamond and his wife Ivette and their son Dominick of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Marcus and his wife Gina of Southington; her son James of New Britain; her son Philip and his wife Leslie of Hartford and their two sons, Dutton of Portland, Oregon and Carter of Atlanta, Georgia; and her older brother, retired Colonel Richard H. Smith, and his wife Ilse of Annandale, Virginia; several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her oldest brother, Frederick P. Smith. Funeral services are Wednesday 10 AM at South Church, 90 Main Street, New Britain. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery. Calling hours are Tuesday 4 to 7 PM at Carlson Funeral Home, 45 Franklin Square, New Britain. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the New Britain Symphony Society, PO Box 1253, New Britain, CT 06050 or to the New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, CT 06052. Please share a memory or note of sympathy at www.carlsonfuneralhome.com