Maureen Danehy Cox

1954 - 2024

Maureen Danehy Cox
May 9, 1954 ~ July 25, 2024
Maureen Danehy Cox, of New Haven, passed away on July 25, 2024, due to complications from ALS. She was the beloved wife and best friend of her husband of 43 years, Robert B. Cox, and the proud and adoring mother of her son, Michael D. Cox.
Maureen was born in New Haven, CT on May 9, 1954, to Benjamin Danehy and Rosalie Jones Danehy. She was one of ten children, a circumstance she was most proud of, and she carried with her the confidence and security of having grown up in a loving household. She attended Our Lady of Victory in West Haven, followed by Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, from the College of the Holy Cross, where she was part of the first class admitting women and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her J.D., with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law and was an editor of the school's Law Review.
Maureen had an extraordinarily keen and efficient mind. Upon graduation from law school, she was invited to join the law firm of Carmody and Torrance, now Carmody, Torrance, Sandak and Hennessey, where she was a partner for many years and an accomplished litigator. She was one of only three Connecticut women listed in the first edition of the Top 250 Women in Litigation published by Benchmark Litigation. She was also the first woman president of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and the first woman in the country to be elected president of a state chapter. She served as an Attorney Trial Referee for the Connecticut Superior Court and was a James W. Cooper Fellow with the Connecticut Bar Foundation. Other accomplishments included an award from the Connecticut Bar Association's Women in the Law Committee for her exceptional leadership in mentoring female lawyers, inclusion as one of the top 25 Women Lawyers in Connecticut as published by Connecticut Magazine, and a professional writing award for appellate advocacy.
In addition to her remarkable career, Maureen was very sociable and enjoyed many hobbies. She was a voracious reader from an early age and would make her way through four or five newspapers a day and upwards of a hundred books a year. She enjoyed both hosting and attending book club with her Westville friends. Preferring reading over exercise, she greatly surprised her friends and family by becoming an enthusiastic walker in recent years, often walking over five miles a day.
Maureen and Bob shared a love of sports and had a standing date for all UConn basketball games. She also enjoyed following the Celtics and the Yankees, but her favorite athlete to watch was her son Mike, and in her opinion the "perfect Saturday" was one spent on the ballfield watching him and cheering him on. She was an involved parent, volunteering often and serving as the president of St. Aedan's PTA during Mike's time there.
Maureen loved and supported the city of New Haven and was always eager to catch an exhibit, try a new restaurant, or see a movie downtown. She had a natural appreciation for music, which was further developed by her husband's fanatical interest in the same. Listening to music together, whether at home or at a live show, was a shared joy of theirs for over four decades.
Maureen was a truly selfless person. She asked for little, and was generous beyond compare with her time, talent, and treasure. She was a trusted and dependable counsel to her family and friends, and could be consistently counted on for sound, non-judgmental advice.
In addition to her husband and her son, Maureen leaves her siblings, Colleen Lindroos, Moira Danehy, Dolorita Coutts (Robert), Ben Danehy (Kelley Cummings), Sheila Danehy (Glenn Chizmazia), Regina Paulhus (David), Mary Miller (Brian), and John Danehy. She was predeceased by her parents who were immensely proud of her, and her brother Paul Danehy (Mary) who had a singular appreciation for her "Maureen-ness." She also leaves many nieces, nephews, cousins, two uncles, and her in-laws on her husband's side, along with many friends and colleagues who cherished her. Maureen enriched the lives of so many and her passing leaves an eternal void for all those who loved her.
Maureen was immensely grateful for the wisdom and dedication of her sister Regina, who oversaw her care, and for the assistance of Kate Agyemang of Angie's Prestige Homecare.
Keenan Funeral Home is assisting the family. https://www.keenanfuneralhome.com Friends are invited to join the family at the funeral home, 238 Elm Street, West Haven, on Friday, August 2, from 4:00 to 8:00. A funeral mass will be held at St. Aedan Church, 112 Fountain Street, New Haven, on Saturday, August 3, at 11 a.m. Please go directly to the church. Burial will be in St. Lawrence Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sacred Heart Academy, 265 Benham Street, Hamden, CT 06514 in memory of Maureen Danehy Cox, Class of 1972.