05/30/2026
Thomas Francis McGrath
Thomas Francis McGrath, age 82 of Stratford died Thursday, May 28, 2026 at Bridgeport Hospital following a brief illness. Tom was a beloved son, brother, husband, father, uncle, and grandfather. He was the husband of the late Betty Allen McGrath. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was the son of Thomas and Lillian Daly McGrath. He had fond memories of growing up in Brooklyn with his three older sisters and would often tell stories of trips to Coney Island and summers at Candlewood Lake. Tom worked for more than 50 years in the air freight industry, retiring from BTX Global Logistics. In his retirement, he explored his love of creative writing, publishing seven books on the Amazon Kindle Store. Tom was a lifelong fan of women’s basketball, from his days of coaching The Our Lady of Assumption elementary school girls’ team (taking them all the way to two New England Championships) to his love of the UCONN Women’s Basketball team. Always a coach, he loved to discuss and break down the details of the UCONN games and wholeheartedly believed Geno could learn a few things from him. Known for his sense of humor, great story-telling, and bad Dad jokes, he will be remembered as being able to find humor in almost any situation. He passed that same sense of humor on to both his children and grandchildren.
Tom’s grandchildren were everything to him - his greatest pride and joy. He loved every minute spent with Tommy, Liam and Molly - talking with them, laughing together, telling stories, playing games, celebrating holidays and just spending quality family time together. In his college essay, Tommy wrote about his Papa - “two of the greatest gifts my grandpa has ever given me are his sense of humor and his ability to make connections with almost anyone. He had an uncanny ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, no matter what their age or interests. His greatest quality is his cheerful personality and kind soul.” The other, and equally important lesson he was sure to pass on was that the Mallomar was the greatest cookie ever invented.
He is survived by his four loving children, Colleen McGrath, Bridget Fawcett and her husband Brian, Tom McGrath and his wife, Jennifer, and Beth McGrath, grandchildren Tommy Fawcett, Liam and Molly McGrath. In addition, he is survived by his brothers-in-law Ronnie Bertasi and Vincent Givens and his close friends Kim and Rick LoCicero, Jimmy and Jean Brideau, Dick and Marie Brown and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, he was predeceased by his three sisters, Patricia Keating and her husband Bill, Catherine Givens, Anne Kapple and her husband Bob, and his in-laws Mary Bertasi, Tom and Scottie Allen. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 6 at 10 AM in the Redgate-Hennessy Funeral Home, Main Street and Gorham Place, Trumbull. Interment will follow in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Trumbull. Friends may call Friday June 5 from 4 to 7 PM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution in Tom’s memory to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org)
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