Marie (Polly) Powell Hincks, 89, passed away on Monday, January 23 at Hartford Hospital.
She was born on October 8, 1927 in New York City to Eleanor Ames Powell and Robert Irwin Powell and grew up with them and her grandparents in NYC, Yonkers, NY and Stamford, CT along with her younger sister Leslie.
Polly was a born artist.
She recalled that it was her love of the outdoors and her ability to draw and paint that nurtured the self-esteem of a shy, imaginative child.
She illustrated her way through childhood, travels, elementary school, Miss Porter's School, Parsons School of Design and Hartford Art School.
She painted landscapes, cracked mirrors, furniture, shoes and favorite words.
She was also a music lover, who attended her beloved Bach's 300th birthday celebration in Vienna with her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Hincks.
For decades they hosted a yearly chamber music weekend at their home.
The Hincks Family Music Weekend continues after 35 years.
Polly's older brother Bobby died at age 7, marking the beginning of a life strengthened by losses, including: her parents' post-depression poverty, her polio while pregnant at age 24, her lifelong physical disability, the untimely deaths of premature Adam and young adult relatives Bruce Warner and Jane Hincks, and the passing of her beloved husband Robert (Bob) Hincks in 1999.
But Polly was the ultimate optimist and survivor, never once in 65 years complaining about her devastating post-polio syndrome.
On the contrary, the friendships she formed with other patients in rehabilitation units inspired her to fight for people with disabilities.
After volunteering for years at New Britain Memorial Hospital, she led efforts to fund, build and run New Horizons Village for independent living.
Her 2001 book, "YES WE MADE IT! The Story of New Horizons: How People with Severe Disabilities in a Chronic Care Hospital Worked Their Way to Independence" documents those decades.
In addition to advocacy for her disabled brethren, Polly was a passionate activist in other arenas. With First Church's Sierra Leone Task Force she helped to build and supply Hope Day School there and has a building named for her.
She and Bob were citizen diplomats who traveled to Russia in the era of glasnost.
She served on the boards of Hart School, was a member of Friends of Bach (associated with Concora); was Director of Admissions at Miss Porter's School, served as President of the Residents' Council at McAuley; and joined Rotary International to support their effort to eradicate polio worldwide.
Polly also generously supported many other charities, especially the International Rescue Committee, and political candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
She was honored by Malta House of Care in 2015 as one of Connecticut's "Super Women."
Polly was the kind and compassionate matriarch of a large and close family.
She is survived by her sister, Leslie (Ron) Siggs; three sons, Robert Hincks (Justine McCarthy), Daniel (Sarah Bennett) Hincks and Andrew (Sue Holcomb) Hincks, one daughter, Birch (Galen) Burghardt; nine grandchildren and four great-grandsons.
There was a funeral service for Polly Hincks at First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington.
Arrangements were handled by the Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.
www.ahernfuneralhome.com
Published in Hartford Courant on January 25, 2017.
She was born on October 8, 1927 in New York City to Eleanor Ames Powell and Robert Irwin Powell and grew up with them and her grandparents in NYC, Yonkers, NY and Stamford, CT along with her younger sister Leslie.
Polly was a born artist.
She recalled that it was her love of the outdoors and her ability to draw and paint that nurtured the self-esteem of a shy, imaginative child.
She illustrated her way through childhood, travels, elementary school, Miss Porter's School, Parsons School of Design and Hartford Art School.
She painted landscapes, cracked mirrors, furniture, shoes and favorite words.
She was also a music lover, who attended her beloved Bach's 300th birthday celebration in Vienna with her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Hincks.
For decades they hosted a yearly chamber music weekend at their home.
The Hincks Family Music Weekend continues after 35 years.
Polly's older brother Bobby died at age 7, marking the beginning of a life strengthened by losses, including: her parents' post-depression poverty, her polio while pregnant at age 24, her lifelong physical disability, the untimely deaths of premature Adam and young adult relatives Bruce Warner and Jane Hincks, and the passing of her beloved husband Robert (Bob) Hincks in 1999.
But Polly was the ultimate optimist and survivor, never once in 65 years complaining about her devastating post-polio syndrome.
On the contrary, the friendships she formed with other patients in rehabilitation units inspired her to fight for people with disabilities.
After volunteering for years at New Britain Memorial Hospital, she led efforts to fund, build and run New Horizons Village for independent living.
Her 2001 book, "YES WE MADE IT! The Story of New Horizons: How People with Severe Disabilities in a Chronic Care Hospital Worked Their Way to Independence" documents those decades.
In addition to advocacy for her disabled brethren, Polly was a passionate activist in other arenas. With First Church's Sierra Leone Task Force she helped to build and supply Hope Day School there and has a building named for her.
She and Bob were citizen diplomats who traveled to Russia in the era of glasnost.
She served on the boards of Hart School, was a member of Friends of Bach (associated with Concora); was Director of Admissions at Miss Porter's School, served as President of the Residents' Council at McAuley; and joined Rotary International to support their effort to eradicate polio worldwide.
Polly also generously supported many other charities, especially the International Rescue Committee, and political candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
She was honored by Malta House of Care in 2015 as one of Connecticut's "Super Women."
Polly was the kind and compassionate matriarch of a large and close family.
She is survived by her sister, Leslie (Ron) Siggs; three sons, Robert Hincks (Justine McCarthy), Daniel (Sarah Bennett) Hincks and Andrew (Sue Holcomb) Hincks, one daughter, Birch (Galen) Burghardt; nine grandchildren and four great-grandsons.
There was a funeral service for Polly Hincks at First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington.
Arrangements were handled by the Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.
www.ahernfuneralhome.com
Published in Hartford Courant on January 25, 2017.
Marie (Polly) Powell Hincks, 89, passed away on Monday, January 23 at Hartford Hospital.
She was born on October 8, 1927 in New York City to Eleanor Ames Powell and Robert Irwin Powell and grew up with them and her grandparents in NYC, Yonkers, NY and Stamford, CT along with her younger sister Leslie.
Polly was a born artist.
She recalled that it was her love of the outdoors and her ability to draw and paint that nurtured the self-esteem of a shy, imaginative child.
She illustrated her way through childhood, travels, elementary school, Miss Porter's School, Parsons School of Design and Hartford Art School.
She painted landscapes, cracked mirrors, furniture, shoes and favorite words.
She was also a music lover, who attended her beloved Bach's 300th birthday celebration in Vienna with her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Hincks.
For decades they hosted a yearly chamber music weekend at their home.
The Hincks Family Music Weekend continues after 35 years.
Polly's older brother Bobby died at age 7, marking the beginning of a life strengthened by losses, including: her parents' post-depression poverty, her polio while pregnant at age 24, her lifelong physical disability, the untimely deaths of premature Adam and young adult relatives Bruce Warner and Jane Hincks, and the passing of her beloved husband Robert (Bob) Hincks in 1999.
But Polly was the ultimate optimist and survivor, never once in 65 years complaining about her devastating post-polio syndrome.
On the contrary, the friendships she formed with other patients in rehabilitation units inspired her to fight for people with disabilities.
After volunteering for years at New Britain Memorial Hospital, she led efforts to fund, build and run New Horizons Village for independent living.
Her 2001 book, "YES WE MADE IT! The Story of New Horizons: How People with Severe Disabilities in a Chronic Care Hospital Worked Their Way to Independence" documents those decades.
In addition to advocacy for her disabled brethren, Polly was a passionate activist in other arenas. With First Church's Sierra Leone Task Force she helped to build and supply Hope Day School there and has a building named for her.
She and Bob were citizen diplomats who traveled to Russia in the era of glasnost.
She served on the boards of Hart School, was a member of Friends of Bach (associated with Concora); was Director of Admissions at Miss Porter's School, served as President of the Residents' Council at McAuley; and joined Rotary International to support their effort to eradicate polio worldwide.
Polly also generously supported many other charities, especially the International Rescue Committee, and political candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
She was honored by Malta House of Care in 2015 as one of Connecticut's "Super Women."
Polly was the kind and compassionate matriarch of a large and close family.
She is survived by her sister, Leslie (Ron) Siggs; three sons, Robert Hincks (Justine McCarthy), Daniel (Sarah Bennett) Hincks and Andrew (Sue Holcomb) Hincks, one daughter, Birch (Galen) Burghardt; nine grandchildren and four great-grandsons.
There was a funeral service for Polly Hincks at First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington.
Arrangements were handled by the Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.
www.ahernfuneralhome.com
Published in Hartford Courant on January 25, 2017.
She was born on October 8, 1927 in New York City to Eleanor Ames Powell and Robert Irwin Powell and grew up with them and her grandparents in NYC, Yonkers, NY and Stamford, CT along with her younger sister Leslie.
Polly was a born artist.
She recalled that it was her love of the outdoors and her ability to draw and paint that nurtured the self-esteem of a shy, imaginative child.
She illustrated her way through childhood, travels, elementary school, Miss Porter's School, Parsons School of Design and Hartford Art School.
She painted landscapes, cracked mirrors, furniture, shoes and favorite words.
She was also a music lover, who attended her beloved Bach's 300th birthday celebration in Vienna with her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Hincks.
For decades they hosted a yearly chamber music weekend at their home.
The Hincks Family Music Weekend continues after 35 years.
Polly's older brother Bobby died at age 7, marking the beginning of a life strengthened by losses, including: her parents' post-depression poverty, her polio while pregnant at age 24, her lifelong physical disability, the untimely deaths of premature Adam and young adult relatives Bruce Warner and Jane Hincks, and the passing of her beloved husband Robert (Bob) Hincks in 1999.
But Polly was the ultimate optimist and survivor, never once in 65 years complaining about her devastating post-polio syndrome.
On the contrary, the friendships she formed with other patients in rehabilitation units inspired her to fight for people with disabilities.
After volunteering for years at New Britain Memorial Hospital, she led efforts to fund, build and run New Horizons Village for independent living.
Her 2001 book, "YES WE MADE IT! The Story of New Horizons: How People with Severe Disabilities in a Chronic Care Hospital Worked Their Way to Independence" documents those decades.
In addition to advocacy for her disabled brethren, Polly was a passionate activist in other arenas. With First Church's Sierra Leone Task Force she helped to build and supply Hope Day School there and has a building named for her.
She and Bob were citizen diplomats who traveled to Russia in the era of glasnost.
She served on the boards of Hart School, was a member of Friends of Bach (associated with Concora); was Director of Admissions at Miss Porter's School, served as President of the Residents' Council at McAuley; and joined Rotary International to support their effort to eradicate polio worldwide.
Polly also generously supported many other charities, especially the International Rescue Committee, and political candidates like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
She was honored by Malta House of Care in 2015 as one of Connecticut's "Super Women."
Polly was the kind and compassionate matriarch of a large and close family.
She is survived by her sister, Leslie (Ron) Siggs; three sons, Robert Hincks (Justine McCarthy), Daniel (Sarah Bennett) Hincks and Andrew (Sue Holcomb) Hincks, one daughter, Birch (Galen) Burghardt; nine grandchildren and four great-grandsons.
There was a funeral service for Polly Hincks at First Church of Christ Congregational, Farmington.
Arrangements were handled by the Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc.
www.ahernfuneralhome.com
Published in Hartford Courant on January 25, 2017.
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