Obituary of Nancy A. Kwiatkowski

Belchertown - Nancy A. (Brighenti) Kwiatkowski, 68, passed away September 12, 2022 with the love of her family surrounding her. Born February 22, 1954 in Athol, she was the daughter of Laurina (Gibbs) Brighenti and the late Albert J. Brighenti. Nancy grew up in Belchertown and graduated from Belchertown High School. She furthered her education at UMass with her BA in education. Mrs. K, as she was affectionately known by students and staff, taught third grade in Belchertown Public Schools for 36 years. She touched the lives of hundreds of children while teaching and being a longtime member of the Rec Dept Commissioners, as well as a devoted communicant of St. Francis of Assisi. She was loved and cherished by all who met her. Nancy and her family and friends enjoyed traveling together. Some of her favorite getaways were camping in Arlington, VT and spending time on the beach in Sanibel, FL. While in Sanibel, she served as secretary on the Board of Directors at Sanibel Arms West Condo Association. Her hands were always busy, whether it was gardening, shelling, quilting, or turning the pages of a book. Nancy had a fierce love for her family and dear friends and will be missed by many.

Along with her mother, Nancy’s love and memory will remain with her husband of 46 years, Paul, and their son, Matthew. Nancy will also be dearly missed by her brother, Albert R. Brighenti, his wife Susan and their children, Anthony and his wife Morgan and their son, Nolan; and Lauren and her husband Marcley and their children, Brayden, Alexa and Caleb as well as her sister Marie Budness and her husband Jim and their son, Michael, and sister Susan Reynolds and her husband, Scott, and their children Catherine, Alex and Nicholas. Also surviving are in-laws, Marielle Kwiatkowski, David Kwiatkowski, his wife Jacqueline and their daughter Julia and her husband Shawn and their children Owen, Evan and Anna as well as Anne M. Lebrecque and Jacques Labrecque. Her cherished friends, Karen Schiffer, Nancy Barnes, Sharon Marean and Suzanne Dudley will hold Nancy’s memory close to their hearts. Visitation will be Friday, September 16th from 4:00-7:00 pm at the Beers & Story Belchertown Funeral Home. Friends and family may gather between 9-9:15 a.m. on Saturday, September 17th at the funeral home to join in procession to a 10 a.m. mass at St. Francis of Assisi and burial in South Cemetery. Donations may be made in her memory to D’Amour Center for Cancer Care, 3350 Main St., Springfield, MA 01107, https://www.baystatehealth.org/giving