Michael Tierney Obituary

Michael Paul Tierney, 72, of West Hartford, formerly of East Haddam, passed away peacefully with his wife and son by his side. He was born in Hartford and was the eldest son of the late Jacqueline (Stratton) Tierney and Raymond J. Tierney Jr. Michael is survived by his beloved wife Colleen Kissane; his son Dean (Elaine) Tierney; and his adored granddaughter Skylar. He also leaves behind his brothers, Daniel (Jacqueline) Tierney, Andrew (Ellen) Tierney, and Philip (Sue) Tierney; his sister Patricia Tierney; his sister-in-law Eileen Kissane and her sons Matthew and Godson Michael; his uncle Paul (Mary) Tierney; his aunt Lillian Stratton; his former wife Cathy Hoggatt; along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
In addition to his parents, Michael was predeceased by his brother Jeffrey; his aunt and uncle Roberta and Andrew Weigert; his uncle Richard Stratton; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, James and Theresa Kissane.
Growing up in the town of East Haddam, he was affectionally called "Big Mike" by his brothers. He loved to fish and duck hunt along the Connecticut River, deer hunt with his brothers in town, and travel to Maine to hunt. Mike was passionate about everything he did. He loved to play baseball and was a devoted volunteer firefighter for the Town of East Haddam. You never wanted to be on the road when the fire bell went off, because it was Mike's mission to beat his two brothers to the firehouse, each one in their own pick-ups. Mike was a graduate of Nathan Hale-Ray High School, Class of 1971, where he was a standout athlete.
Michael was a 35-year career employee of the State Department of Transportation. He worked in a variety of offices within the Department, always bringing his distinct style to each. You always knew where you stood with Mike because he was very clear on expressing his views, and he did not have a "church voice". He started his field career by plowing snow out the Haddam garage, operated the swing bridge in East Haddam, and ran a Testing Boring crew out of Higganum. He then transferred into the office where he worked in the offices Bridge Safety and Project Estimating. As a true Irishman, he was the life of the party and had the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they looked forward to the trip. After retirement, he cherished his time with his granddaughter. Michael was a proud lifetime member of the Irish American Home Society.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Church of St. Peter Claver, 47 Pleasant Street, West Hartford. Please meet directly at the church. There are no calling hours, and burial will be private. A Celebration of Life will be held later in the fall.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Mother Cabrini Shrine, 701 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10040 or online at www.cabrinishrinenyc.org. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Michael, please visit our floral store.