Mary E. Snell, our beloved sister and aunt, passed peacefully from this earth on December 3, 2015 with her niece Patty by her side. Mary was the widow of Harold E. Snell and Peter J. Kondra. She was born on July 1, 1918 in Manchester and lived here for all of her 97 years. She was the daughter of Polish immigrants, Felix and Catherine Bigenski. Mary was independent and in charge as the oldest child, driving much of life's way for the Bigenski family of Homestead Park. She loved school as a child, especially the spelling bees, that she was so very good at. Mary first worked at Cheney Brothers with her sister Jo, making silk ties. When the war came along they moved on to inspecting parachutes for Pioneer Parachute Company. Mary eventually attained an office position at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and worked there for 10 years. It was there that Mary first met Harold Snell, who she would later marry in 1989. Mary then went on to work at Travelers Ins Co, where she retired from in 1980. Mary was a lifelong devout parishioner at St Bridget Church and a volunteer at Manchester Memorial Hospital for many years. She loved dancing and spent many happy Sunday nights at the Polish National Home in Hartford. Mary also loved spending time with her family and hosted many holiday parties at her house with her first husband, Peter. Peter was an avid photographer and put his 8mm camera to work for any and all family events. We are blessed to have recordings of our childhood, our grandparents and our special times. Mary spent quality time with her nieces & nephews as they were growing up, including sleep-overs and shopping trips. Mary was a good role model for all of us having taken care of her parents until they passed away. Mary's life was never brighter than when she married Harold Snell in 1989 and brought him into our family. She and Harold shared a love for books and they spent many a day browsing the local bookstores. Mary is survived by her beloved brother Edward Bigenski of Lebanon, CT, her loving nieces & nephews David Kittle (Darlene), Thomas Kittle (Gail), Arleen Smith, Patty Barton ( Michael), and Diane Gambino , her great nieces & nephew: Stacey Kittle, Christina Connors, Matthew Smith, Heather Hatcher, Kimberly Testo, Jennifer Dauphinais and their families. She was pre-deceased by her dear sister Josephine Kittle and sister-in-law Gloria Bigenski. The family wishes to thank Brookdale Buckingham for their loving care of Mary for over 2 years and Manchester Manor for their comfort and care this last 2 months. Mary was in good hands and we will always be grateful for that. We also wish to thank Mary's neighbors, Dean & Helen Tully for watching over her like family for so many years. Funeral services will be held Monday December 7, 2015 from John F Tierney Funeral Home, 219 West Center St, Manchester, CT with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM at St Bridget Church. Burial will follow at St Bridget Cemetery. Calling hours are from 9:30 to 10:30 AM at the Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St Bridget Church, 80 Main St., Manchester, CT 06042. For online condolences please visit www.tierneyfuneralhome.com.