Marie McGuire

Marie Michelle (Futtner) McGuire, 83, of Manchester, Connecticut (CT), passed away on March 17, 2025, in Maine, surrounded by her family. She was the devoted wife of Michael McGuire, the love of her life, for almost 57 years until he died in 2021. Marie was born December 15, 1941, to Raymond and Antoinette Futtner at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT, and was one of the oldest cousins of her generation.

Marie attended Goodwin School, the new Sunset Ridge School, and East Hartford High School. She belonged to the Girl Scouts and spent many happy hours with her very active troop. A beautiful singer, she sang on the radio, sometimes accompanied by her father. Marie also helped on the family farm, handing tobacco plants to her father for hanging in the sheds and selling corn at the family’s roadside stand.

She met and fell in love with Michael McGuire, a dapper Irishman, at Central Connecticut State College, where they earned their bachelor’s degrees, her’s in elementary education. Upon graduation, Marie taught at South Grammar and Anna E. Norris Schools in East Hartford. The couple married on April 11, 1964, at St. Rose Church in East Hartford. Marie and Michael lived and worked in central Connecticut for their first several years, raising their family of four daughters.

In 1975, Mike and Marie bought Tasty Chick Restaurant in Vernon, which they successfully ran for 14 years with the help of their daughters and many loyal employees. Mike and Marie then moved the family to Ashford to start their third act as Christmas tree farmers. During that time, Mike and Marie were Ashford town chairs of the 1995 International Special World Olympics, hosting the Special World Olympics delegation from Egypt.

After the children moved on, the couple moved to Wells, Maine, where they volunteered and traveled to Italy, Australia, England, and the Western United States. They returned from Maine to Connecticut in their later years and began a quieter time of life. Marie, a full-blooded Italian by birth, was a great cook, baker, and hostess. She was also a doting grandmother and a beloved sister and cousin to many. Along with her strong Catholic faith, her family was a prime focus.

Marie leaves behind her four daughters: Patricia Steltzer and her husband Edward of Arundel, Maine; MaryEllen McGuire and her husband Bediako George of Washington, D.C.; Michelle McGuire and her husband Gary Murfitt of Kennebunk, Maine; Allison Caraceni and her husband Tom of Webster, MA; ex-son-in-law Robert “Rob” Uccello of Millbury, MA; her five grandchildren McGuire and Archer Uncello, Imani and Liam George, and Aiden Murfitt; brother James Futtner and his wife Honora of South Windsor, CT; sister Joanne Keizer and her husband Stephen of Plymouth, MA; brother Robert Futtner of East Hartford, CT; sister-in-law Kathryn Shanahan Pikosky and her husband Michael of North Haven, CT; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to her husband, Marie was predeceased by her brother Raymond A. Futtner, Jr., son-in-law Barry Pfeffer, and her grandson Connor George.

Funeral service will be held Saturday, March 22, 2025, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 am celebrated at Assumption Church, 21 South Adams Street, Manchester. The family is asking everyone to please go directly to the church Saturday morning. Burial will follow immediately after at Ellington Center Cemetery, 95 Maple Street, Ellington. Visiting hours are Friday, March 21, 2025, from 3 pm to 6 pm at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Marie’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. For online expressions of sympathy to the family please visit www.desopoeh.com.