WATERBURY - Jacklyn “Jackie” Phelan of Waterbury, age 95, passed away peacefully at St. Mary’s Hospital on Sunday, February 22, 2026. She was the widow of Ralph Phelan.

Jackie was born on August 25, 1930, in Waterbury, Connecticut, the daughter of John and Bernice (Mahoney) Healey. Jackie grew up in the Hopeville section of Waterbury and graduated from Hopeville Grammar School, where her Aunt Kathleen Healey was a teacher. She was raised in a lively three-family home on Kelsey Street that her grandfather built after emigrating from Ireland. Surrounded by loving aunts and an uncle, she absorbed Irish music, culture, faith, and family stories from an early age — a heritage she later passed on to her own children, even enrolling them in Irish step dancing classes.

She graduated from Waterbury Catholic High School and went on to attend St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing, earning her Registered Nurse degree in 1951. Nursing was never just a profession for Jackie — it was part of who she was. She worked for nearly 40 years as a private duty nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital, often caring for relatives of friends and family. She kept in touch over the years with her nursing school roommate, Mary McMahon — a connection that quietly endured long after their student days.

Jackie met the love of her life, Ralph Phelan, at the Jug End Barn in Egremont, Massachusetts, a favorite gathering place for Waterburians who went there to ski and enjoy good company. Ralph was singing and playing the banjo in a trio, and Jackie was quickly enchanted. Only later did she discover he lived just a few miles from her in the Washington Hill neighborhood. They married and made their home on Westwood Avenue. Jackie was a deeply devout Catholic and a lifelong communicant of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Her faith was central to her life. She made pilgrimages to Medjugorje, Lourdes, and other sacred places, and read countless books about the lives of the saints. When she could no longer attend Mass in person, she watched it daily on television and faithfully prayed the rosary.

She was a loving mother to her four children. An avid sun worshipper, she and Ralph held yearly memberships at Sandy Shores beach, where summers were filled with swimming, cookouts, and friendships that lasted for decades. Family vacations brought them to rented cottages in Milford, where water skiing, swimming, clamming, walking out to Charles Island, and nightly bonfires created memories that would be cherished for years. Later, she especially loved watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren swim in the backyard pool, always ready with peanut butter crackers and her famous pink lemonade. The Phelan swimming pool also became a gathering place for family, neighbors, and friends — crowded with children, birthday parties, laughter, and long summer afternoons. Jackie took tremendous pride in her yard, transforming it into something worthy of a Home & Gardens feature. Until just the last few years, it was not uncommon to find her on her knees for hours planting, digging, and spreading mulch. Her son Brian was her invaluable partner in these efforts, patiently tackling the endless projects she planned.

Although she leaves behind three daughters, she often said her daughter-in-law, Donna, was like a daughter to her and loved her as one. Jackie had the special privilege of traveling to Colombia with Donna to welcome her grandson Eric into the family — an experience she treasured. Donna’s extended family warmly embraced Jackie as well, affectionately calling her “Grandma Ralphie,” a name that endured — even among children not related by blood.

She leaves behind her sisters, Maureen Elmendorf, Janice Shannahan, and Patsy Hayes, and was recently predeceased by her sister, Peggy Healey. The sisters regularly attended Sunday Mass together at the Basilica before heading to Mary’s Diner for lunch. Jackie was especially close to Patsy, with whom she often traveled to Florida. She extended many stays there with Janice, who generously hosted her. When Jackie stopped driving, Patsy brought her to appointments with her favorite hairdressers, Dawn and Mary, followed by lunch at Linda’s Diner — small routines that meant everything.

Jackie leaves behind her children: Brian Phelan (Donna Sutkaitis), Marcia Johnson, Terry Phelan, and Jackie Hvolbeck (Dave); her grandchildren Tom Johnson (Leah Haibi), Tyler Johnson, Mary Phelan (Joe Grogan), Monica Phelan (Chris Osborne), Eric Phelan (Cait Geaghan), and Erika and Charlotte Hvolbeck; and her great-grandchildren Leona Johnson, Caroline Grogan, Anele, Rhodes, and Ana Osborne, along with so many loving Phelan and Healey nieces and nephews. She also leaves behind her lifelong friend of over 80 years, Shirley Ceritelli. In recent years, when both were homebound, their steady telephone calls kept their remarkable friendship alive. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Ralph, her parents, her brother John, and her sisters Mary Clare and Peggy Healey.

Funeral services for Jacklyn Phelan will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. from Casey’s Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Care 1987 East Main St Waterbury to the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow in New Pine Grove Cemetery, beside her beloved, Ralph. Relatives and friends are invited to pay their respects and visit with the Phelan family on Saturday morning from 8:00 until 9:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Loving kindness is always welcome, and it only takes a moment to send a message of condolence, words of comfort, or share a memory with the family and friends of someone important to you. To send a memorial gift to the family, please visit the funeral home website at www.caseyfunerals.com.