Edward F. Morrissey
Edward F. Morrissey, age 87, of Hamden, formerly of North Haven, passed away peacefully on January 16, 2022, surrounded by his loving family. Edward was born on February 4, 1934 in Worcester, MA and was a son of the late Michael and Julia O'Donoghue Morrissey. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Carolann Nordstrom Morrissey and his three daughters and their families: Kathleen Underkofler and her husband Charles of Wallingford; Karin Wetherill and her husband Edward of Barrington, RI; and Kristen D'Souza and her husband Deepak Cyril of Guilford. Ed was the proud and loving grandfather of Robin, Ellen, Sarah, Rohan, and Joseph and great-grandfather of Sarina and Santiago. Ed is also survived by two brothers: Daniel Morrissey of MA and Joseph Morrissey of NC and two sisters, Ann Petricca and Mary Morrissey of MA. He was predeceased by two sisters, Helen Morrissey and Sheila Smith and a brother John Morrissey. He is survived by many nieces, nephews and godchildren and his loving and dedicated caregiver, Muriel Chalmer Watts.
Ed attended St John's High School in Worcester, MA, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Holy Cross College, and earned a master's degree from
Boston College School of Social Work with a major in community organization. He received a commission in the Army Medical Corp and was stationed at Fort Ord, CA, where he provided clinical services to both service personnel and their dependents at The Army Language School at Fort Ord and the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.
Upon discharge in 1961, Ed returned to the East Coast and accepted a position in New Haven with the United Way as a principal planner. A major portion of his activities was developing a nationally recognized anti-poverty program. He was active with the state legislature and received a gubernatorial appointment to the state policy commission on human services. He later accepted a position with the Connecticut Regional Medical Program, establishing a university-affiliated hospital system with Yale and the University of Connecticut Schools of Medicine. He later was a principal of Morrissey Associates which offered program advice to the U.S. Navy Submarine facilities in New London.
Ed was a member of the National Association of Social Workers and an elected member of the North Haven Board of Education. He was a communicant of St. Barnabas Church for over 40 years, where he served on the Parish Council and its Social Action Committee, prior to his moving to Hamden when he became a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish.
Always with a newspaper or book in his hands, Ed was a voracious reader. He devoured newspapers and read biographies about political figures and historical events. He and his wife enjoyed traveling and toured major cities in Europe, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Russia. For over 20 years, he, his "bride," and children vacationed in their Cox pop-up trailer and then, for the next 15 years, he relaxed and read at Red Cedar Lake at the family's cottage in Lebanon, CT.
The family would like to thank Ed's primary care physician, Dr. Cynthia Togawa, and the staff at DaVita Hamden for their skillful and compassionate care and support as well as the drivers at My Ride Hamden who carefully transported him to and from his kidney dialysis sessions.
Family and friends are invited to go directly to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 2819 Whitney Avenue, Hamden on Saturday morning, Jan. 22nd at 10:00 to attend a Mass of Christian burial. Masks strictly required for all services. Interment will be privately held in All Saints Cemetery. In Ed's memory, the family requests that an act of kindness to someone in need may be made in honor of his life. The Havens Family, North Haven Funeral Home, 36 Washington Avenue have been entrusted with the arrangements. www.northhavenfuneral.com