Obituary of Judge Thomas J. Meskill

Obituary Thomas J. Meskill, 79, of East Berlin and Delray Beach, FL, beloved husband of Mary T. (Grady) Meskill passed away on Monday (October 29, 2007) at Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Boynton Beach, FL. Born in New Britain on January 30, 1928 the son of the late Thomas J. and Laura (Warren) Meskill, Sr. He was a Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit having been confirmed on April 22, 1975 after nomination for appointment by President Gerald R. Ford. Judge Meskill served as Chief Judge from 1992 to 1993. He was a graduate of New Britain High School, Class of 1946;Trinity College, 1950; University of Connecticut Law School, 1955 where he served as an editor of the Law Review. Judge Meskill served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from 1950-53 during the Korean Conflict. From 1956-1960 he was a partner in the New Britain law firm of Meskill, Dorsey, Sledzik and Walsh. He was Corporation Counsel for the City of New Britain in 1966; he was Mayor of the City of New Britain from 1962-1964; he was a member of the Ninetieth and Ninety-first United States Congresses representing the Sixth Congressional District of Connecticut. Judge Meskill served as Governor of the State of Connecticut from 1971-1975. In 1994 Judge Meskill was awarded both the Federal Bar Council's Learned Hand Medal for Excellence in Federal Jurisprudence and the Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award from the Connecticut Bar Association. Judge Meskill was a member of the American Bar Association; Connecticut Bar Association; Florida Bar Association; New Britain Bar Association; National Governor's Conference Executive Committee 1971-1972; Republican Governor's Association, Vice-Chair, 1973; and, Connecticut Constitutional Convention in Hartford in 1965. He was a member of Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Kensington and The Little Club, Gulfstream, FL. Judge Meskill leaves his wife of 52 years Mary Theresa (Grady) Meskill, five children, his daughter Maureen Heneghan and her husband Robert of Haddon Heights, New Jersey; son John B. Meskill and his wife Barbara of Kensington; son Peter W. Meskill and his wife Carol of East Hartford; daughter Eileen Meskill-Gallupe and son-in-law Drew of New Britain; and, son Thomas G. Meskill of Branford. He also leaves seven grandchildren, Daniel Heneghan and wife Kelley; Michael Heneghan and wife Karli; and Kathlin Heneghan of New Jersey; Brian and Erin Meskill of Kensington; and, Alina and Leila Gallupe of New Britain. Judge Meskill is also survived by two sisters, Sister Laura Marie Meskill (RSM) of Portland and Ruth Prior of Naples, FL and several nieces and a nephew. Funeral services will be held Friday Morning 9:00 A.M. from the Farrell Funeral Home 110 Franklin Sq. New Britain, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 at St. Mary's Church New Britain. Burial will be private. Visitation will be Thursday from 2:00 to 7:00 P.M. at The Farrell Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Foundation, P.O. Box 353, Crosswicks, NJ 08515 or WJMJ c/o St. Thomas Seminary, 467 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield, CT 06002