Deborah Dorothy Weldon

1951-2019

Portland- Deborah Dorothy Weldon was born in Bristol, CT on February 6, 1951 and grew up in Southington. Deb went to her heavenly home on November 21, 2019 after a 9-year battle with Dementia/Alzheimer’s Disease.

After graduating Southington HS, Deb attended Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA, eventually graduating with a BS Degree in Merchandising and Marketing from The University of Hartford. Deb held a variety of marketing positions in her career and in 1981 joined The Brewster Corporation in Old Saybrook, CT where she ascended to vice president of sales and customer service. It is also where she met her future husband, Tom O’Connor.

Deb was known for her love of music; singing and dancing throughout her life, up until her final months.  Her love of songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, Carole King to Abba and the Bee Gees made her so fun to be around.  Her piano duets with her two sisters usually ended in hysterics. Her nieces and nephews have countless stories of her antics during their childhood and young adulthood.  The Weldon extended family summer gatherings almost always featured a song like “The Adams Family” with lyrics rewritten for the Weldon family. Her smarts, wit and sense of humor will always be with anyone who knew Deb. She was just plain fun!

In 1998, Deb and Tom had the opportunity to move to Maine, which they had planned to do at retirement. They fully enjoyed the Maine Coast, Forests and Lakes. For work, Deb acquired a sales and marketing position with The Montalvo Corporation which she held for several years. She was then Finance Associate at Catherine Morrill Day Nursey the final years of her career, which ended when her Alzheimer’s Disease advanced and she could no longer perform in her position.

Deb is survived by her beloved husband, Thomas O’Connor of Portland, her stepson Christopher O’Connor, his wife, Jessica and their daughter, Samantha Rose of Bridgewater, MA; sister, Karen Brown and her husband Guy of Carmel, ME; brother, Charles Weldon and his partner Laurie Lavarack of Chatham, NY; sister, Barbara Soloway and her husband Nick of Westbrook, ME; nieces and nephews, Kathy, Kris, Koreen, Michelle, Karrie, Ashley, Nick and Quinn; many members of her in-law family The Manley’s; and her BFF since kindergarten, Christine Matteo of Southington , CT.

Deb’s brain was donated to the Harvard Brain Bank so tissue from her brain will be used in research throughout the world. Even in death Deb is working for a cure to Dementia/Alzheimer’s.

Tom and the family want to thank The Alzheimer’s Association, and The Southern Maine Agency on Agency for all their guidance and support on this journey. The family also thanks the staff and medical personnel at Avita of Stroudwater for their excellent and loving care of Deb. Also, to Compassus Hospice for their kind and compassionate care in Deb’s last chapter of her life.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Maine Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, 383 U.S. Route 1, Suite 2C, Scarborough, ME 04074. A cure needs to be found to stop this dreadful disease.

Visiting Hours will be held on Monday, December 2nd, from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at A.T. Hutchins Funeral Home, 660 Brighton Avenue, Portland. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, 72 Federal St., Portland on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 10 am.

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