Obituary for Muriel (Bergeron) Hinckley
Muriel Arlene (Bergeron) Hinckley passed away peacefully April 7, 2018, at home surrounded by her family. She was born on September 30, 1928, at St. Joseph Hospital in Willimantic to Hazel June Moseley and Alphonse Joseph Bergeron. The Moseleys came to Windham County from Massachusetts in the 1700s. Their ancestors included Mayflower passengers Priscilla Mullens, John Alden, and William Bradford. The Bergerons emigrated from France in the 1600s. Their descendants settled in St. Antoine de Tilly, Quebec. In the 1890s Muriel’s grandparents Romuald and Adeline Bergeron moved their family to Willimantic. Muriel had 33 aunts and uncles and 57 first cousins – they are Bergerons, Moseleys, Deludes, LeBeaus, Racicots, Joneses, Potters and Champagnes. Growing up in Willimantic, Muriel held many jobs, including selling motor oil at Benny’s, bookkeeping at Star Furniture and selling war bonds at the Gem Theater. The Gem Theater was where, in 1942, she met Clarence Hinckley; they married on April 30, 1946, a marriage that would last nearly 72 years. They had two children, Sharon (Sherry) and Cynthia (Cindy). Muriel and Clarence have resided on Prospect Street since 1955.Starting in the 1950s, she volunteered with Sherry’s Girl Scout Troop #1 and became Evelyn Burdick’s Assistant Troop Leader; she stayed with the troop through Cindy’s membership and for many years beyond. She also volunteered for many years for the American Red Cross, scheduling staff for their blood drives. Muriel was a talented craftswoman; she could sew, knit and crochet, tat, decorate cakes and arrange flowers.Education was important to Muriel. She was a proud graduate of Natchaug School and Windham High School. When her children were grown, Muriel studied to become a teacher’s aide. She worked as a paraprofessional at her alma mater Natchaug School for 39 years before retiring at age 85 in 2014. In a tribute to her, her colleagues said: “Without fail Muriel is the first staff member the children see as they get off the school bus every morning. She always finds a positive thing to say to a child and their parents when they stop by. For the students she makes learning fun and shares in the pride of their accomplishments. Her undying dedication to this school and town shows her outstanding character and loyalty to the teachers and students of Natchaug School.” Muriel loved to travel. She and Clarence enjoyed summer vacations on the Connecticut Shore with their children. In the 1970s and 1980s they took their poodle Harry and drove their camper all over the continental United States and Canada. In the 1990s they flew to Hawaii and Alaska. Her favorite place to visit was Washington, D.C. She was a lifelong parishioner of St. Mary Roman Catholic Church; her Bergeron grandparents were original members. Muriel’s motto in her high school yearbook was from Romeo and Juliet, “She doth teach the torches to burn bright.” Both in personality and fashion sense, she always sparkled. Muriel leaves her husband Clarence; daughter Cindy and her husband Jack Bendfeldt, of Sherborn, Massachusetts, and their children Ann, of Tarzana, California, and Jane, of Somerville, Massachusetts; son-in-law Jim Pellow, of Avon, spouse of her daughter Sherry, who died in 2003; sister Barbara Sayers, of Willimantic; sister-in-law Dorothy Rouette, of Chaplin; and twelve nieces and nephews. Her family will receive relatives and friends Thursday, 4/12/18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Bacon Funeral Home, 71 Prospect St. Willimantic, CT. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, 4/13/18, at 11 a.m. in St. Mary Church, 46 Valley St. Willimantic followed by burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Club Rd. Windham, CT.
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