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Alverna Jane Harden of Southampton died at home on May 17, 2019. She was 94. Born on December 21, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois, she was the daughter of Hattie McCann. She attended St. Frances of Rome Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating on June 11, 1944.
A retired educator and guidance counselor for the New York Board of Education in Queens, she earned a bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in 1948, and a master’s degree in education from New York University in 1955. She returned to NYU to earn a second master’s, this one in psychology, in 1970.
A devout Catholic, she was a parishioner at St. Clare’s Roman Catholic Church in Rosedale and St. Athanasius Church in Philadelphia. She was an avid reader of the daily newspaper, books filled with knowledge about health and wellness, and poems by Maya Angelou. She loved animals, especially cats, and was a lifelong world traveler who, while at home in the states, loved tending to her colorful garden.
Survivors said that, above all, she loved her family, and devoted all of her time to her grandchildren, instilling a love of education, kindness and compassion for all people. Her sense of humor, generosity and selflessness will always be cherished.
She recently relocated to Southampton with her daughter’s family.
She is survived by her daughter, Deirdre (Roy Gundy Jr.); and her grandchildren, Kaela, Ashleigh and Roy III.
Viewing will be on Saturday, May 25, at Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton from 1 to 2 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held the same day, at 2:30 p.m., at Our Lady of Poland Church.
Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, stjude.org.
on May 20, 2019