Theresa M. Brannen, 86, of Berlin, passed away on Sunday June 26, 2016, at the Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin. Mrs. Brannen was born in Lawrence, MA on June 27, 1929, daughter of the late Adolph and Lena (Legros) Castonguay. She moved to Gorham in 1937 at the age of 8 and graduated from Gorham High School in 1947 and also was a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She and her late husband Thomas Brannen were married in 1951. They greatly enjoyed traveling together and spent portions of their winters in Sarasota, FL. Theresa worked for the City of Berlin Public School System for over 25 years, as a Reading Specialist and then as the Title I Director. She truly loved her job and colleagues and took great pride in meeting her former students and hearing of their accomplishments. In her youth, she enjoyed figure skating and continued to follow international skating competitions. She also had a lifelong love of dancing, which she continued well into her 80’s. Theresa loved attending cultural events and spending time with her grandchildren.
Family members include her daughters, Dr. Judy Brannen and husband Dr. Robert Castellucci of Richmond, VA and Jane Brannen and longtime companion Norman “Gus” Gagne of Berlin; 4 grandchildren, Jonathan, Theresa, Joseph and Thomas Castellucci; close sisters- in-law Ruby Brannen of Berlin and Lily Brannen of Sarasota, FL; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Thomas E. Brannen in 1996.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday July 1, 2016, at 10 AM at St. Anne Church of Good Shepherd Parish in Berlin. Interment will follow in Holy Family Cemetery in Gorham. Relatives and friends may call on Thursday afternoon and evening from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the Bryant Funeral Home, 180 Hillside Ave., Berlin. Donations may be made in her memory to Good Shepherd Parish Memorial Fund, 151 Emery St., Berlin or to the American Red Cross.