Hugh J. Lavery, esteemed Attorney-at-Law, loving husband, wonderful father, and pillar of the Newtown community, passed away peacefully at his home on September 29, 2026, at age 86, surrounded by his loving family following a lengthy struggle with Parkinson’s Disease.

Known for his wit, wisdom and kindness, he dedicated his life to his family and many friends, employees and clients, all of whose lives he touched deeply.

His life was filled with a deep respect for the law, surrounded by legal minds for his entire life. Hugh was born June 20, 1940 in Bridgeport, to Attorney William J. Lavery and Helen Keniley Lavery, the middle child between the Honorable William J. Lavery (former Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court) and Elizabeth Lavery Maher (whose husband, Kevin J. Maher, was partner at Maher & Williams Law Firm).

Hugh’s many talents were demonstrated at an early age. He graduated from Fairfield Prep in 1958, where he was an honor student, president of the senior class, quarterback of the football team, captain of the tennis team, and president of the chess club. He was elected King of the 1958 Barnum Festival in Bridgeport and was the Greater Bridgeport Junior Chess Champion the same year.

From there he matriculated at Amherst College, where he played football and rugby and was fortunate to make many life-long friends in the class of 1962, including his brothers at his beloved Psi Upsilon fraternity. He then joined his brother Bill at Fordham Law School, graduating in 1965 before obtaining a graduate legal degree in tax law at New York University School of Law.

After a brief stint working for the United States Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., he returned to Connecticut and joined his brother in the law firm of Caldwell, Ehrsam, Kennedy and Lavery in Bridgeport. This marked the beginning of a remarkable legal career dedicated to justice and the people of Fairfield County.

He spent his early career devoted to the burgeoning Civil Rights movement, working as legal counsel for the Action for Bridgeport Community Development (ABCD), helping low-income Bridgeport residents. Following the appointment of his brother to the Connecticut Superior Court bench, he formed a legal practice with J. Edward (Eddie) Caldwell, a former Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader and State Comptroller. Caldwell and Lavery, Attorneys-at Law, was based in Sandy Hook and helped hundreds of clients there through Eddie’s death in 2013 until Hugh’s retirement in 2021.

Moving to Newtown in 1982, Hugh quickly became a well-respected member of the community. He served as the Town Attorney for Newtown, represented the Newtown Police Union, had a lengthy tenure as President of the Newtown Tennis Association, and coached several junior sports teams, to list a few of his many contributions.

Hugh’s love for his family was a cornerstone of his life. He was a loving husband to his wife of 55 years, Janice (Jan) Clayton Lavery; a dedicated father to his children Hugh J. Lavery, MD and Kaitlin A. Lavery; and doting grandfather to Hux (age 11), George (8) and Pearson (5). Dr Lavery is the Chief of Urology at Stamford (CT) Hospital and Kaitlin is a sales executive at Google in New York City. Beyond his immediate family, he was a steadfast source of support for his siblings and their families, including many nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins. He cared relentlessly for family, young and old, and many of his children’s friends (and even clients) viewed his as a “second father.”

As a father, he was always reliable and supportive with high expectations; he set an impeccable example as kind, proud and ethical. A quietly intelligent man, he gladly shared his wit and wisdom with those fortunate enough to be close to him; the seats next to him at holidays and family dinners were always fiercely coveted. He loved the beaches of Cape Cod, French wine, reading classic literature, ‘60’s folk music, astronomy and studying the skies, bird-watching and his various pets, especially his dog Blizzard (1991-1999, RIP).

Hugh had a lifelong passion for tennis, inspiring many of his family members and friends to take up the sport. He loved to retell the tale of the time he hit a winner past the future Tennis Hall of Famer Pancho Gonzalez during an exhibition match while he was captain of the tennis team at Fairfield Prep. He won several mixed doubles and senior men’s doubles tournaments throughout his career in Newtown, but always placed a higher priority on having beautiful strokes than winning matches.

He will be greatly missed, but his legacy endures in the lives he touched and the family he loved, leaving an indelible mark on the community.

Friends and family are invited to honor Hugh’s life at a wake Friday, October 9, from 4-7 pm, and at his funeral at 9:30 am on Saturday, October 10. Both will be held at Honan Funeral Home, 58 Main Street, Newtown, followed by a Christian burial at Resurrection Cemetery, 208 South Main Street, Newtown.