Edward James Mackey Jr.

Edward James Mackey, Jr., 83, of Eustis, FL and formerly of Windsor, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Hartford Hospital. Born in Hartford on December 11, 1942, son of the late Edward James Mackey, Sr. and Esther (Kareski) Mackey, he was raised in Windsor and was a graduate of Windsor High School, Class of 1960.

After high school, Edward enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served from June, 1960 until his honorable discharge in 1964. Edward was stationed at Camp Lejeune, SC and was later transferred to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, NY. After his discharge, he stayed in Brooklyn, NY for several years before returning to Connecticut and settling back in his hometown of Windsor.

Edward worked at Harvey & Lewis as an optician and later took a position at Pratt & Whitney where he worked until the early 1980's. Edward ultimately found his calling when he applied for a position as a corrections officer at the former Northern Correctional Institution in Somers. Edward immediately got involved in the corrections officers union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Local #391 in Enfield and after a brief time he was selected by his peers to serve as the Union Steward for Corrections Officers at Local #391. He later was elected President of the Local #391 where he served for several years. His union involvement led him to accept a position as a service representative for AFSCME in New Britain where he represented corrections officers for the entire State of Connecticut – negotiating contracts and championing causes for corrections officers throughout the State. Edward loved serving the interests of his brothers and sisters in corrections and was honored many times for his work. He was invited to the White House during the Clinton Administration where he served on a council for correctional facility reform in the United States. He later returned to work as a correctional officer at Donald T. Bergin Correctional Institution in Mansfield, CT where he stayed until retirement after over 20 years of service to the Department of Corrections.

After his retirement in the early 2000's he relocated to Eustis, FL where he enjoyed boating, fishing, golfing, and spending time with his dogs on the St. John's River. He loved taking long car rides, listening to his favorite Classic Rock songs, and spending time with his daughter, Shannon.

He leaves his daughter, Shannon Lee Bragg of Windsor; a nephew, Ronald Kompienski of Orlando, FL; and his two Golden Retrievers, Jake and Mack. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a sister, Esther Mackey.

His family will receive friends on Friday, March 13, 11 a.m.-12 Noon, followed by a funeral service at 12 Noon, in the chapel of the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor. Burial with Military Honors will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Windsor.

Edward's family has requested that memorial contributions be made to a Go Fund Me memorial account th

at has been established in his name. Donations may be made by visiting, https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-ed-mackeys-life-and-legacy.