Barbara Ann Gruneis, 84, of North Haven, passed away with family by her side at Yale New Haven Hospital on August 23, 2020. She was born in New Haven on June 28, 1936 to the late John and Fedora Sullo DeLaca. Barbara graduated from the Grace New Haven School of Nursing. As a registered nurse, she worked at the Greater New Haven OB-GYN Group for many years. She continued her career at Montowese Health Care, where she received the Nightingale Nursing Award for excellence in nursing. After retiring, Barbara volunteered her time at Gaylord. In her free time she could be found reading or watching women's UCONN Basketball. Her most cherished pastime though, was time spent with her family. She was always present at her grandchildren's functions, especially sporting events, where she was their biggest cheerleader.
Barbara will be lovingly remembered by her daughters and sons-in-law, Gayle and Bill Sims, and Leslie and David Frost, and her grandchildren, Ashley, Taylor, and David Sims, all of North Haven. Predeceased by her former husband, Emil "Sonny" Gruneis.
Friends may visit with her family at BEECHER & BENNETT FUNERAL HOME, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden, on Thursday morning, August 27th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 12:00 p.m. in St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish-St. Barnabas Church, 44 Washington Ave., North Haven followed by burial in All Saints Cemetery, North Haven. Contributions in Barbara's memory may be sent to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org , Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org , or to Gaylord Hospital, www.gaylord.org .