Sr. Theresa

“Well done, good and faithful servant” Matthew 25:21

The Community of St. Matthias Catholic Academy is saddened to share the news of the passing of

Sister Theresa, master teacher and loyal friend of SMCA for more than thirty years. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew her.

Sister Theresa Torsone, SSND, a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, died on October 14, 2021, at The Watermark in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at the age of 80. She was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on April 1, 1940, the beloved daughter of John and Antoinette Torsone. She attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel elementary school where she was taught by the wonderful sisters who would become her community. After attending Mt. St. Mary’s High School in Newburgh, New York, she entered religious life in 1959.

After pronouncing her vows as an SSND in 1960 as Sister Johnette, she taught at St. Anthony School in Passaic, New Jersey. In 1980 Sister Theresa began over three decades at St. Matthias School, Ridgewood, New York. In her retirement, she resided at Villa Notre Dame in Wilton, Connecticut, until the community moved to The Watermark in August 2021.

Sister Theresa was an exceptional teacher specializing in math. She had an enormous impact on hundreds of children and their families. She was pre-deceased by her parents, her brother Michael Torsone and her brother-in-law Robert Valentino.

Surviving family members include sisters Michele Valentino, Anita Freer, Johnna Torsone, brothers-in-law David Freer and John McKeon, and her many nieces and nephews to whom she was especially devoted and who love her dearly.

Sister was a lifelong fan of the NY Yankees and never missed listening to or watching their games. On her 50th anniversary as a School Sister of Notre Dame, she was honored by Derek Jeter and the Yankee organization on Sister Theresa Torsone Day at the stadium. Also special to her were the summer family gatherings at Galway Lake, New York, where she was dubbed by her grand nieces and nephews as The Leader of the Lake.

A wake was held at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Danbury Road, Wilton, on Oct. 22. A Mass of Christian burial was held on Oct. 23 followed by burial at St. Mary Cemetery, Bethel, Connecticut.