Southbury, CT -
Cecilia (Celia) Grimley Langlieb, 69, formerly of Westwood, NJ died on Wednesday May 23, 2007 at St. Mary's Hospital in Waterbury after a ten year courageous battle with ovarian cancer. She was the loving wife of Arthur Langlieb, whom she married in 1979, and a much-loved step-mother, sister, aunt, great aunt, teacher and friend who would travel any time and any distance to help others or join in their celebrations of life.
Mrs. Langlieb was born in Queens, NY daughter of the late Katherine and George Grimley. She graduated from St. Joseph's College in Brentwood and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph order at Brentwood, Long Island. She taught in several grammar schools on Long Island and then after earning a master's degree in Religion from Manhattan College, taught theology at Monseignor Scanlan High School and Paramus Catholic High School where she also taught sex education and classes on death and dying because she felt it was important for teenage students to understand how to handle their emerging sexual urges and how to deal with the loss of loved ones. While teaching at Paramus she also was elected President of the Teachers' Union for the Bergen County, NJ Catholic schools. During her term with the Union, she worked assiduously to upgrade salaries and increase pension compensation for teachers in the Bergen Catholic schools.
Celia practiced her faith in nontraditional ways too. She felt the spiritual emphasis should be on helping people to use positive, caring ways in their own lives and in their interaction with others. To her, this was more important than institutional and narrow denominational concerns. She worked through her ministries to educate people to relate to the Divine through a holistic approach which uses feminine as well as masculine images of God. She was certified by the Federation of Christian Ministries to perform weddings, funerals and prayer services for all faiths. She was also an active member of the spirituality study group, Pandora's Circle, and a founding member and interfaith minister of The Spirit Rising Liturgical Community in New Jersey in which she was actively involved until her death.
After 41 years of teaching and two bouts of cancer she retired in 2000, moving from Westwood to Heritage Village in Southbury where she joined the Heritage Village Ambulance Corp and became a Medical Response Team member. She also worked with SHARE's Ovarian Cancer Hotline.
Besides her husband Arthur, Celia leaves three step-children, Amy Langlieb Dargan of Bergenfield, NJ, Kenneth Langlieb of New Foundland, NJ and Geoffrey Bruce Langlieb of Miami, FL as well as her sister Mary Ann Wilkens and her husband George of Amenia, NY, one niece and two nephews, three grandnieces and one grandnephew, and innumerable close friends.
A memorial service to celebrate Celia's exuberant and outreaching life will be held at Presentation Church in Upper Saddle River, NJ in the near future. The service will be followed by a memorial brunch at the church's parish hall. Memorial contributions may be made to The Sisters of Saint Joseph, C/O Sr. Rose Viceconte, C.S.J., 1725 Brentwood Rd., Brentwood, NY, 11717. More information is available on www.caringbridge.org, by typing in Celia1. The Southbury Funeral Home of Munson - Lovetere, 235 Main St. North, is in charge of arrangements. To send an online condolence, please visit www.munsonloveterefuneralhome.com

Memorials: Memorial contributions may be made to The Sisters of Saint Joseph, C/O Sr. Rose Viceconte, C.S.J., 1725 Brentwood Rd., Brentwood, NY, 11717. More information is available on www.caringbridge.org, by typing in Celia1.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Funeral: Church Not Applicable

Services: A memorial service to celebrate Celia's exuberant and outreaching life will be held at Presentation Church in Upper Saddle River, NJ in the near future. The service will be followed by a memorial brunch at the church's parish hall. Burial is at the convenience of the family.

Visitation: There are no calling hours.