Carol O'Day Moriarty

Carol O'Day Moriarty, 78, beloved wife of Thomas Moriarty, passed away on April 11, 2017. She was born December 28, 1938 in Jamaica Plain, MA to the late Joseph and Anne Baxter. Carol is predeceased by her late husband of 43 wonderful years, Frank O'Day of Madison, CT and her sons Matthew and Frankie O'Day, as well as her brother Philip Baxter. Carol spoke fondly of her childhood in Jamaica Plain. She was born into a big family and had great adventures with her neighborhood friends. Carol forged friendships that lasted a lifetime. She attended Boston College, leaving to marry and to raise seven children. While raising her children, Carol returned to college, and earned her degree in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University. She loved children and worked at the Children's Psychiatric Center at Yale for over a decade. An active outdoorswoman, Carol enjoyed her weekly hiking, cycling, and kayaking with the New Haven Hiking Club. She traveled extensively and loved meeting new people and experiencing new adventures. Carol was an avid reader and enjoyed gardening, playing bridge and scrabble. She was a parishioner of Christ the King in Old Lyme, and formerly attended St. George Church in Guilford, and St. Margaret Church in Madison. Service to her community was important to her and she devoted many years to various organizations. Carol volunteered for Meals on Wheels, the Shoreline Food Pantry, the library at Truman School in New Haven, and the Historical Society of New Haven. While her children were growing up, she was actively involved in the PTA, the Girl Scouts, the Nuclear Arms Freeze Group, and the Irish Club of New Haven. Carol was an inspiration to many. She was a very loving, loyal and devoted wife, mother, grammy, aunt, sister and friend. Carol will be most remembered for her generosity, zest for life, sense of humor, and her internal strength and fortitude. Carol will always remain a role model for her children and grandchildren. She is survived by daughters Anne Greene and her husband Brendan of Norwell, MA, Kathleen O'Day of San Francisco, CA, Tara Logan and her husband John of Exton, PA, and Maureen O'Day and her husband Ernest Aarsen of Madison, CT and by her son Patrick O'Day of Deep River, CT. Her adoring 12 grandchildren include Caitlin, Jackie, Conor, and Justin Greene, Cecilia, Kathy, Annie, and Marie Logan, Kyle, June, and Jolie Aarsen, and Adam Moriarty. She is survived by her stepchildren Julie Moriarty of Farmington, CT, Colin Moriarty (Carmen) of Manhattan, NY, and Joan Moriarty of Old Lyme, CT. Throughout her life she was very close to her 7 siblings and is survived by six siblings, Dorothy Pitts (Albert) of Holbrook, MA, Patricia Tanner (John) of Melbourne, Australia, Frances Galvin (Frank) of West Roxbury, MA, Joseph Baxter (Sylvia) of Dennis, MA, Jeanne Lavine (Dan) of Sudbury, MA, and John Baxter (Brenda) of Denton, NC. A special thank you to the compassionate Clinton EMTs, Police officers and the neighbors who came to her aid. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday April 18th at 10am at St George Church located at 33 Whitfield Street, Guilford CT. Visitation will be held on Monday April 17th from 5-9pm at Swan Funeral Home at 825 Boston Post Rd, Madison, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carol's honor to the Estuary Council of Seniors, Meals on Wheels, 220 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (Attention Stanley).