Maurice J. Sponzo

The Hon. Maurice J. Sponzo, 92, of Simsbury, beloved husband of the late Angelene Alfano Sponzo, died June 20. Born in Hartford in 1914, he graduated from Hartford Public High School, the College of the Holy Cross and the University of Connecticut School of Law. He was admitted to the Connecticut and Federal Bars in 1940. The following year, he joined the United States Army, serving until 1946 with the 81st Infantry Wildcat Division and attaining the rank of Captain. He served as prosecuting attorney in the West Hartford Town Court during the periods 1949-51 and 1955-56, and was named Corporation Counsel for West Hartford in 1956, a post he held for three years. He was appointed a judge of the Circuit Court effective July 1, 1967. In 1970 he was elevated to the Court of Common Pleas and in 1974 he became a judge of the Superior Court, also serving on the Appellate Session of that court from 1975 to 1979. During this period he also served as a one-man grand juror investigating the highly publicized Peter Reilly case. In 1981, he was appointed the Chief Court Administrator for the Connecticut Judicial Department, a position he held until his retirement in 1984. In 1981 Judge Sponzo received the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Judicial Award. The award?s citation, speaking eloquently of his career, noted: ?Ever mindful of the human dignity of all who appear before him, and with full awareness of the power of the judiciary, Judge Maurice Sponzo displays a deep respect for the law and for those who practice it. Above all, he has the courage of his convictions and the fortitude to express them.? He is survived by: two daughters, Anne Sponzo Cappelli and her husband Anthony, of Granby, and Marilyn Sponzo and her husband Douglas Hertz, also of Granby; two sisters, Rose and Theresa Sponzo of Farmington; a brother Michael of Avon; two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews. Calling hours will be held on Sunday, June 24 from 3 pm. to 7 pm. at Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Avenue, West Hartford. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday, June 25 at 10 am. at St. Helena?s Catholic Church, 30 Echo Lane, West Hartford, followed by a committal ceremony at Fairview cemetery in West Hartford. Donations in his honor may be made to McLean Foundation, 75 Great Pond Rd., Simsbury, CT 06070.

Maurice J. Sponzo

September 17, 1914 - June 20, 2007