Obituary of Maureen M. Wright

While surrounded by her family, Maureen Margaret Wright, age 83, gracefully passed into the hands of God. Born to Peter and Agnes Donnelly in Providence, RI, Maureen graduated from Rogers High School in Newport, RI where her father was the principal. She matriculated to Pembroke College (Brown University) where she earned Dean’s List honors while in pursuit of a degree in education. In her second year, a young lieutenant aviator in the Marine Corp briefly interrupted this endeavor. Promising to take her away from the winter cold if she would join him in Pensacola, FL, Maureen married James R. Wright (“Dick”). Maureen and Dick would go on to spend the next fifty-four years together and raise three sons and one daughter. While raising her family, Maureen was active in the community, serving as a volunteer for the Cancer Fund, a district captain for the Heart Fund, teaching religious school and president of the Sikorsky Pilots Wives Club. When the children were grown, Maureen resumed her education earning a BA in Sociology, an MS in School Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University. Maureen worked in the Darien, CT Public Schools as a student psychologist until her retirement in 1991. Although she and Dick enjoyed their retirement and divided their time between Melbourne, FL and New England, Maureen remained active in the local community by volunteering for the Melbourne “Meals on Wheels” and as a volunteer in the Melbourne Public School’s Rolling Reader program. Friends, colleagues and family will remember Maureen for her patience, compassion and sincere kindness to the people in her life. She will also be deeply missed by the New England Lobstermen’s Association who could count on her demand for lobster rolls (warm with butter, not that cold salad kind) and the Dairy Farmers of America who relied on her passion for ice cream (preferably Moose Tracks, Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip from Erikson's or Sealtest Heavenly Hash). Her son Jay and his wife, Sharyn and their four children, son Stephen and his wife Patty and their three children, son Paul and his wife, Joyce, and their four children, her daughter, Christine Rafferty and her husband, Michael, and their two children and her nieces Laura Donnelly Lamar and Maureen Donnelly survive Maureen and her three nephews Dennis, Jay and Billy Sullivan. Her husband Dick, her brother Peter Donnelly and her niece Lisa Donnelly Watson preceded Maureen in death. A memorial mass will be held at St. Theresa’s Church in Trumbull, CT on Saturday, July 23, 2016 at 9 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the CT Chapter of APDA, PO Box 718, Mystic, CT 06372 (www.ctapda.org).