Joseph J. Mager Sr.

MAGER Joseph J. Mager Sr., age 80, died on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 surrounded by his loving family. He was an attorney for 51 years, greatly admired for his honesty and compassion. Attorney Mager was born on October 25, 1926 in Stratford to Joseph F. Mager and Mary (Velky) Mager. He graduated Valedictorian from Milford High School in 1945. After serving in the United States Army during World War II, he received a B.A. Degree from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Yale Law School. He married Elizabeth (Betty) Davis on June 21, 1952. After graduating from Yale Law School in 1955, he clerked in the United States District Court for Judge Robert Anderson. Thereafter, he joined the New Haven Law Firm of Thompson, Weir and McDonald. He and his good friend, Robert C. Zampano, formed a law partnership known as Zampano and Mager, whose offices were in East Haven. "Bob" Zampano became a Federal Judge in 1959 and until 1981, Attorney Mager practiced as a sole practitioner, moving his office in 1963 from East Haven to his lifelong home of Milford. In 1981 his son, Joseph Jr., joined his firm. A partnership was formed in 1984, known as Mager and Mager. In 1990, Attorney Mager's son, John, also joined the firm as a partner. The firm's office at 87 River Street was destroyed by a fire in 1992, but after three years the offices were permanently relocated to a new building at the original site. Attorney Mager's life revolved around his family and his practice of law and he was working in the office on April 13 when he was stricken with the heart attack which led to his demise. He was a member of the American, Connecticut and Milford Bar Associations, having served as President of the Milford Bar in the mid 1970s. He was admitted to practice in the state of Connecticut, the federal court for the District of Connecticut and the United States Supreme Court. He served for two terms on the Connecticut Bar Statewide Grievance Committee. Attorney Mager was an active member of Saint Mary Roman Catholic Church. He served as one of two Trustees of the church during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s with his friend, the late Attorney Ronald Stark. He was a member of Saint Mary Holy Name Society, the Legion of Mary and a lectern at Sunday Mass. He also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Catholic Family Services. Attorney Mager was a devoted husband and father, who was also actively involved in his community. He was a Scout Master for Troop 2, BSA Milford; a member of the Board of Directors for the Milford Red Cross, the United Way, and the Republican Town Committee. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, Milford Elks and the Thaddeus Kocziusko Society. He was a past member of the Wilsonian Club and The Milford Club. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Elizabeth; his daughter and son-in-law, Jacqueline and Robb Sekelsky of Milford; his sons and daughters-in-law, Joseph Jr. and Jacqueline Mager, James and Deborah Mager and John and Diana Mager, all of Milford; his grandchildren, Christina Mager, of Hamden, Elizabeth Mager, Joseph J. Mager III, Jennifer Mager, John Mager, Robert Sekelsky, Emily Mager and Craig Mager, all of Milford. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 8:45 a.m. in St. Mary Church, 70 Gulf Street, Milford. Interment in St. Mary Cemetery, Milford. There will be no calling hours. Arrangements in care of Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad Street on the Green, Milford. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Saint Mary School, 70 Gulf St, Milford, CT 06460 in his memory. www.codywhitefuneralservice.com.