Marguerite Alexia DeFelice

Marguerite Alexia DeFelice (Maggie) of Farmington, previously of Wethersfield, CT, passed away peacefully in hospice care at UConn John Dempsey Hospital on June 27, 2026, after a courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

She was born in Hartford, CT, to the late William (Billy) and Geraldine (Gerre Battistone) DeFelice on April 28, 1953 and attended Hartford schools, graduating from Bulkeley High in 1971. She obtained her RN degree from Greater Hartford Community College in 1980, but earlier became a certified LPN in 1974 at A.I. Prince Tech. She went on to earn an Associate degree at Manchester Community College in 2000. Her 50 year career touched on many aspects of nursing, combining her attained knowledge with her nurturing spirit, natural abilities, and unwavering desire to help others. She started out in clinical at Newington Children’s Hospital and also worked at Mount Sinai and Hartford hospitals and various home care nursing pools, before transitioning to health care evaluation services, first at Aetna Insurance Co. and finally at nationwide Elara Caring, which she retired from in 2024, after more than a decade of employment.

Maggie was an upbeat, gregarious, giving, generous, honest, kind, sweet, thoughtful, and truly funny person, whose infectious smile and delightful laugh lit up every room she ever entered! She loved being with family, especially her adored niece and four nephews as they were growing up and each reciprocated that love and sentiment to her. She was an avid animal advocate who used all her resources caring for her pet rescue cats over the years, particularly her last three tuxedoes:  Cutie-Pie, Thumbelina, and DeeDee.

Maggie was a longtime parishioner at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartford, where she contributed to their charitable work for the poor.  She also was a pledged Red Cross blood donor. She  loved to socialize and was a dedicated “patron of the arts” enthusiast, a trait acquired from and encouraged by her artistic mother. Among her past hobbies were following the New England Whalers as a lifelong season ticket holder; attending varied concerts from Hartford to Woodstock (1969) to Tanglewood and local live theater at Hartford Stage and the Bushnell Memorial, as well as major popular Broadway productions in New York City. Throughout her lifetime, she frequented artistic gardens, museums, art galleries, and religious monasteries and retreats. Upon retirement, she became both an active member of and a volunteer at the Wethersfield Senior Community Center. She spent many years vacationing at Connecticut shoreline beaches and in Florida, where a large portion of her immediate family reside.

Besides her parents, she was predeceased by brother, Mark DeFelice, brother-in-law, Scott Theriault, and “double uncle and aunt”, who were also her Godparents, Richard and Marie (MaryLou Battistone) DeFelice. Maggie is survived by her beloved younger sister Maria (DeFelice) Theriault, Farmington, CT, who was also her devoted caregiver; two brothers: Matthew DeFelice, Wethersfield, CT, and Michael (Karen Theriault) DeFelice; nephews Michael Aaron DeFelice and Marcus Andrew DeFelice, (also her Godson); former sister-in-law Cheryl (Theriault) Valenti; niece Monica (Curtis Sr.) DeFelice-Robinson, (also her Goddaughter), along with cherished grandnephew and grandniece Curtis Jr. and Leah Robinson, all of Palm Bay, FL; her special nephews Christopher (Marcia) Theriault, Farmington, CT, and Daniel (Allysa) Theriault, (also her Godson), East Hartford, CT, who spent the most time with her as both children and adults; Maggie also leaves her closest uncle and aunt, Andrew John Battistone and Margaret (Peggy Battistone) Okolita; double cousins Andrea (DeFelice) Hagstrom and Donna Ann DeFelice-Junk, together whose RN nursing expertise proved invaluable in the “end of life” decision making process; and her cousin cohort/best friend, Marci (Tedone) Limberger; as well as many other loving relatives, lots of loyal friends and former co-workers, all of whom mourn and miss her.

Maggie was a selfless and exceptional person in the lives of so many of us!  A sincere thank you to the attentive and empathic staffs at both UConn John Dempsey Hospital and AccentCare Hospice of CT, who took such excellent care of  Maggie. Abbey Cremation Service, of Rocky Hill, CT, is assisting her family with arrangements; however, per Maggie’s explicit instructions, there will be no services and internment will be conducted privately.

Charitable  donations, in Marguerite A. DeFelice’s memory, may be directed to the Art League of New Britain, Inc., 30 Cedar Street, #1, New Britain, CT, 06052, where Maggie was extremely proud that her nephew Daniel Theriault and his wife, Allysa (Garcia) Theriault, serve as Treasurer and Vice President, respectively.