Kilfoil, Mary Jean

Mary Jean Kilfoil, known to friends and family as “Jean”, passed away peacefully at her residence at The Mcauley in West Hartford on January 30, 2023. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Thomas C. Kilfoil and Anna Doyle Kilfoil, and her siblings, Thomas F. and Ann Patricia Kilfoil. Jean was born Oct. 17,1929 and raised in New Britain, across the street from what is now Central Connecticut State University, from which she received her BS Degree in Mathematics in 1951. She began her teaching career at Long Lane School in Middletown, a challenging post for anyone, especially one recently graduated from college. However, Jean “aced” the job, warming to the most difficult of the so-called “delinquents,” bringing them home at times to her family's dinner table. Eventually, she switched careers to overseeing what was the actuarial department of the Aetna Insurance Company and learned to live with computers instead of “wayward girls”, but she always remembered her early students fondly. Travel was an important aspect of her life and she enjoyed exploring Europe and the Middle East, usually in the accompaniment of her sister or cousins. After retirement Jean resided independently in the family home in West Hartford, enjoying the company of her faithful dog—and all the dogs in the neighborhood— until moving to The Mcauley with her loyal companion, Varita Williams. She is survived by a myriad of loving cousins and their children. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Friday February 3 at 11:00 am at the Church of St. Peter Claver, 47 Pleasant St., West Hartford, followed by interment in the family plot at Mount St. Benedict Cemetery. Friends and family may call from 9:30-10:30 a.m. on Friday at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave. West Hartford. Directions and online expressions of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Church of St. Peter Claver or the animal shelter of your choice.