June 16, 2023
Sandra Whalen Quine, a long-time resident of Meriden, CT and recent resident of Hingham, MA, passed away on June 9, 2023, surrounded by her family. Born on August 26, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY to the late Michael F. Whalen and Irene Roche Whalen, Sandra graduated from Bishop McDonnell High School and Marymount College in Manhattan. She then met her husband, John D. Quine on a blind date at a College of the Holy Cross football game. After graduation they married and moved to Kansas with the U.S. Air Force, eventually settling in CT where they raised their three daughters. She was very active in Saint Mary School & Parish and was an outdoor enthusiast who could often be seen cross country skiing, hiking, and playing in her various tennis groups.
As a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Thursday Morning Club (TMC), Sandra was always eager to participate in intellectual pursuits and civic engagement. She was a local business owner and the First Lady of Meriden. As a testament to her unyielding spirit, she returned to academia after raising her family to receive her master’s degree from Central Connecticut State University in Education. Using this education, she touched many lives as a second-grade teacher at the Nathan Hale School. Upon retirement she and John split their time between their home in Connecticut, visiting with their friends and family, and their cottage on Molasses Pond in Maine. At the Pond, she embraced the tranquility of the lake, often found windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, truly embodying a love for life and nature. Years after her husband passed away she moved to Hingham, Massachusetts, where she enjoyed living with her daughter’s family, walks on the beach, cheering for the Celtics, reading with local book groups, and taking part in the many local senior center activities.
Sandy is survived by her three daughters: Catherine (husband, Christopher P. Carter) of Old Lyme, CT; Laura Quine (husband, David M. Carter) of Darien, CT; and Lisa (husband Warren M. Brini) of Hingham, MA. She is also survived by her six grandchildren Margaretta & John Carter, Milo & Beatrix Carter, and Jake & Michael Brini as well and many more nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband, John D. Quine, in 2011 and her son, Michael John Quine, in 1961.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Hingham, MA on June 17th at11:00 AM.
A family graveside service will follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Bangor, ME. Donations in her memory may be made to The Pierre Monteux School at:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AG2P73LM6VL72
Their website is accessible at