Obituary: Muriel O’Connell, 89, of Heritage Village

Muriel O’Connell, 89, of Heritage Village, died Sunday Nov. 11 in Danbury Hospital. She was the widow of James F. O’Connell.

Mrs. O’Connell was born March 20, 1923, in Bronx., NY, daughter of the late Harry G. and Barbara (Kuester) Mason. She earned her bachelors degree from Hunter College in New York City and was a member of Beta Sigma Omicron. She received her master of science degree from Western Connecticut State College in 1971. She was a past president of the Newtown Business & Professional Women’s Club. She owned Elliott Real Estate in Sandy Hook for many years prior to becoming a home economics teacher at Newtown Middle School for 11 years. She received the Youth Action Award from then Governor Ella Grasso for creation of a volunteer community service program for students at Newtown Middle School to work with the elderly at nursing homes and children at the elementary schools. After her retirement she worked with her daughter at Comforts of Home from 1997 to 2005. Formerly of Newtown, she lived in Heritage Village for 32 years.

She will be sadly missed by her devoted family, whom she dearly loved and was so proud of.

She leaves six children, Judith A Beers of Sandy Hook, Jeffrey W. Elliott of Ocoee, FL, Susan L. Elliott of Litchfield, Diane E. Dyer of Bedford, NY, David G. Elliott of Southbury and Wendy Lee Brazauskas of Woodbury; 12 grandchildren, Elizabeth Beers Kataria of Miami, FL, Daniel Beers of Galesburg, IL, Jason Elliott of Oak Ridge, TN, Jeremy Elliott of St. Augustine, FL, Michele Guannel of Honolulu, HI, David Wrabel of Sharon, CT, Sam Saxton of South Carolina, Jason Saxton of Southbury, James S. Elliott of Boston, MA, Brian Cyr of Waterbury, Megan Cyr of New York City and Maya Brazauskas of Woodbury; 3 great-grandchildren, Calista Elliott, Zach Saxton and Milo Guannel; and one sister, Catherine Olsworth of Princeton, NJ.

A memorial service was held in Monroe on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Arrangements by Carpino Funeral Home, Southbury.

Memorial contributions in her memory may be made to Southbury Food Bank, PO Box 68, Southbury, CT 06488, or Southbury Fuel Bank, 561 Main St. South, Southbury, CT 06488, Southbury Needy Fund, PO Box 72, Southbury, CT 06488 or Heritage Village Ambulance Association, PO Box 2045, Southbury, CT 06488