Maureen D. Prior

Maureen Dillon Prior of West Hartford, CT passed away peacefully at home with family early on Sunday morning, July 19, 2026. Maureen was born in Hartford, CT on August 25, 1933, to the late Margaret (Philbin) and Patrick Dillon. She attended Bulkeley High School where, as a teenager, she met her future husband, Richard. They married and moved to East Hartford in 1955 and built a happy and fulfilling life together for 49 years before he passed in 2004. Maureen and Richard welcomed five children in quick succession on Collimore Road, a new neighborhood with other young and growing families. Maureen was a warm, caring and involved Mom who made sure each of her children took part in activities and found interests that suited them and helped each one find their own path. She was a much-loved friend and a favorite Mom in the neighborhood. When you were greeted by her beautiful smile, your day was immediately brighter. As an active member of St. Mary’s Church and the parish Mother’s Circle, she made many memories and lifelong friends. Once all the kids were in school Maureen resumed her career, initially working in the Connecticut State Police Quartermaster Division. She transferred after several years to the Judicial Department, where she progressed in the organization and retired with the title of Publications Supervisor in 1997. Throughout her career she was known for her intelligence, dependability, attention to detail and for being a co-worker you could trust both personally and professionally. In their empty nest years Maureen and Richard enjoyed traveling, including multiple European and Canadian vacations and escapes from the Connecticut winters in Florida for several weeks each year. Visiting their children and grandchildren up and down the East Coast kept them busy as well. They did not miss a milestone. Along the way they realized a dream and purchased a cottage on the Connecticut shoreline. Together they spent weekends fixing up the property and enjoyed walks along the causeway, collecting sea glass, dinners out, frequent trips to Dairy Queen and entertaining family and friends at their idyllic getaway. A few years after retiring, Maureen and Richard moved full-time to their beach cottage in Old Saybrook. Sadly, Richard passed away shortly thereafter. That move proved to be his last gift to Maureen. She was embraced by a new community and made exceptional friends with whom she traveled, volunteered and enjoyed life. She joined St. John’s Church, was a vibrant docent at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center and a volunteer at the Shoreline Soup Kitchen & Pantries. In 2023, Maureen moved to The McAuley in West Hartford to be closer to family. During this time, she particularly relished visits from her grand and great grandchildren who live in town, cousins bearing homemade cookies and treats from Wendy’s and longtime friends who dropped by to join Maureen in planned activities or for a casual chat. Maureen leaves a loving legacy of a son and four daughters and their ever-expanding families - Richard (Elsa) Prior; Sheila (Michael) Bergey and three sons Michael (Rebecca), Steven and Kevin (Courtney) Bergey; Karen (David) Topalis and their three children Andrea (Daniel) Fenton, Michael (fiancé Megan Ohtani) Topalis and Kathryn (Devin Bageac) Topalis; Margaret (Richard) Quirk and their three daughters Maureen Quirk, Rebecca (Charles) Sutherland and Shannon (fiancé Thomas O’Gorman) Quirk; and Elizabeth (Timothy) Hartsoe and their two children Kaitlin (Michael) Shealy and Nicholas (Margaret Head) Hartsoe. In addition, eight great grandchildren have joined the family in the last seven years (Connor, Miles, Mason, Benjamin, Eliza, Brody, Kit and Harry) and three more little ones will be welcomed this fall. Maureen is also survived by many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to her beloved husband Richard, Maureen was predeceased by her three siblings and their spouses, Thomas (Betty) Dillon, Sheila (John) Kearns, and Margaret (Jack) Tine. Calling hours for family and friends will be held on Wednesday July 29, from 8:30am – 9:45am at Saint Timothy Church, 1116 N. Main St. West Hartford, CT 06117. A Funeral Mass will commence at 10:00am. Interment will follow at Mount St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Maureen’s memory to Shoreline Soup Kitchen & Pantries (SSKP), P.O. Box 804 Essex, CT 06426.