Obituary of Marlene E. Adkins
Marlene E. (Cardin) Adkins, 89, of Colchester passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, November 5, 2024 with her husband by her bedside. She was the beloved wife of Ralph Potter Adkins.
Born in Providence, RI, Marlene was the daughter of the late Joseph and Lina (Goebel) Cardin. She was a graduate of Hope High School, Providence, Rhode Island, where Marlene won a competitive statewide Extemporaneous Speech contest at the University of Rhode Island. She was a graduate of Bryant University. Marlene was a secretary to the House Minority Leader under Gov. Meskill. She was an executive assistant to Connecticut’s first Environmental Protection Commissioner, Dan W. Lufkin. She was finance director of the Connecticut Republican Party during which time Marlene hosted a fundraising dinner for then Gov. Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy and hosted a previous dinner for former Senator Prescott Bush. She retired from American Airlines as a tour consultant. Marlene was active in several civic organizations. She was a member of the Waterbury Women’s Club, served two terms as the President of the New Milford Women’s Committee, was co-chair for two years of the Festival of Trees and Traditions at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and held several other offices for the Women’s Committee at the Wadsworth Atheneum including Vice President of the Program Committee, Vice President of Volunteers and also served two years as co-chair of Charity Trees. Marlene was a member of the Country Gardener’s Club of Glastonbury. She was an avid reader and loved theater, music and all of the arts. Marlene was an active traveler. She traveled extensively in England and Europe, as well as Turkey, Israel and the Caribbean. She even toured Europe alone on occasion. Marlene was active in cultural activities and had many wonderful friends. She was a member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church.
In addition to her husband, Marlene is survived by her daughter Pamela Tierney and her husband Kevin, her son Geoffrey Bakewell and his wife Cheryl, her stepson Douglas Adkins and his wife Sheryl, her stepdaughter Jennifer Blais, and her stepdaughter Jocelyn Adkins. She was also survived by her grandchildren Patrick and Sean Tierney, Jeffrey, Stephen and Kevin Blais, Brett, Quinn and Matthew Adkins and Jude Adkins, her nieces and nephews Susan Wheelock, Joseph and Janet Cardin, Marcia Clifford, Richard and Pamela Cardin, as well as Linda and Richard Corley. Marlene was preceded in death by her brother Joseph Cardin and his wife Elsie, and her sister Lena Bood and her husband Henry.
Funeral services and burial will be at the convenience of the family. There are no calling hours. For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.