Obituary of Mary Ann Handley

Mary Ann Handley, educator, public servant, activist, actor, mother, grandmother, and friend to many, passed away on December 9th at Hartford Hospital at the age of 87. Through her decades teaching history at Manchester Community College, her service to the town of Manchester, and as the Connecticut State Senator for the 4th District, she left an indelible mark on her town, her state, and her students, and made a real difference in the lives of many residents in her district. Her passing brought a close to a life of unwavering commitment to social justice and economic equity, and of deep love for her family and community.

Born on May 13, 1936, in Manchester, Connecticut, Mary Ann graduated from the Chaffee School in 1954 and received her BA from Connecticut College and her MA in History from the University of Connecticut. She joined the faculty at Manchester Community College, where she taught history and economics for almost 40 years. She loved teaching and working with students. She had many dear friends and cherished colleagues at MCC with whom she traveled, acted in plays, and made “good trouble” with the college administration. Mary Ann was also an activist, supporting important causes throughout her lifetime: the civil rights movement, labor unions, abortion rights, same-sex marriage. She spent decades in public service to the town of Manchester, serving on the Manchester Board of Directors and as deputy mayor, and was engaged in numerous community initiatives, including the Human Relations Commission, the Special Olympics Committee, and the Cheney Historic District Commission.

A lifelong Democrat, Mary Ann was elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1997. Some of her proudest achievements there included providing health care coverage to children and low-income families through Connecticut’s Husky plan, ensuring health care access to immigrants, and passing same-sex marriage legislation in Connecticut. After retiring from office in 2011, Mary Ann was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the University of Connecticut. She was a great Huskies fan, and regularly attended the women’s basketball games. She also shared her love of history and film through talks at the Unitarian Universalist Society, where she was a founding member. She was a great reader, with a penchant for biographies and mysteries, and an intrepid traveler, visiting Ireland many times, Egypt, Nicaragua, and Alaska.

Her legacy lives on through her family, who remember her generosity, curiosity, love, and quirky sense of humor with great fondness. She is survived by her sons Timothy of Worcester, MA and Michael of Middlebury, VT, her daughters-in-law Verónica Calero and Lisa Gates, and grandchildren Alexandra, Ethan, Anna, Olivia, Luis, Julian, and Max. She is also survived by her sister, Josephine Taft, of Kenmare, Ireland, and former husband Donald Roy of Manchester, CT.

A memorial service to honor Mary Ann Handley’s life will be held on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023, at 1:00 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse in Manchester, Connecticut. The service will be live-streamed. To get a link to the livestream, please send an email to roymichaeldonald@gmail.com.

Those wishing to honor Mary Ann can do so by making a donation in her memory to the Unitarian Universalist Society in Manchester or to the Manchester Area Council of Churches (MACC) Charities. And by voting!