Obituary of Johanna Wilhelmine Saam

Johanna Wilhelmine (Hohn) Saam, Plymouth, formerly of Waterbury, passed away peacefully, Saturday, July 6, 2019, at The Lutheran Home of Southbury.  She was predeceased by her husband of 62 years, Henry Saam.   Born September 30, 1930, in Frankfurt, Germany, daughter of Wilhelm & Louise (Preis) Hohn,  she is survived by her sister Paula Engel.   Pre-deceased siblings are sister Kathi (Jochen) Hohn, and brothers Wilhelm (Waltraudt) & Manfred (Elenore) Hohn.  Johanna leaves behind her son, Gary Saam and his wife Janice of Naugatuck; two daughters, Irene LeClair and her husband Joseph of Plymouth; Linda Nido and her husband Robert of Wolcott; five grandchildren, Dr. Gregory Saam and his wife Cristina, Dr. Carl Saam, Matthew LeClair and his wife Dr. Jessica LeClair, Carina Nido and her partner Michael Smith, Brianna Nido and her fiancé Ryan O’Neill, and many cherished nieces and nephews in the U.S. and Germany.

She met her husband Henry in Germany during World War II.  They migrated to the United States in 1952 and proudly became citizens.  She was an accomplished tailor, designer & seamstress throughout her career, employed 22 years at Dorfman’s, downtown Waterbury, followed by her own tailoring business for several years in the Brown Building.   In retirement, she took pride in caring for her 5 grandchildren.  She loved to cook and bake for her family specializing in her German dinners and pastries.   She enjoyed listening to music and reading.  Johanna was the subject of an award-winning documentary “Eye Witness to War” by the students of Naugatuck High School.   She was a long-time member of the former First Lutheran Church, Waterbury.

The family would like to thank the staffs of The Lutheran Home of Southbury, The Village at East Farms in Waterbury and Regional Hospice of Danbury.

Visitation will be held Saturday, 8:30 a.m., at Prospect Memorial Funeral Home, 72 Waterbury Road, Prospect, followed by a Memorial service at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 1555 Hamilton Avenue, Waterbury at 10:00 a.m. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 669 Platt Road, Watertown. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Johanna’s memory to Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 1555 Hamilton Avenue, Waterbury or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

For directions or to place condolences please visit www.prospectmemorial.com