John H. Higgins, 78, of Stonington, well-known and respected local Pharmacist, died Thursday (February 28, 2002) at Mary Elizabeth Nursing Center in Mystic. He was born December 17, 1923 in a private home on Margin Street in Westerly, RI, the son of C. Leo Higgins and Marie (Henry) Higgins. He was the husband of Rita Ann (Corrigan) Higgins, R.N. for more than 56 years. He graduated from St. Michael School in Pawcatuck in 1937, and from Stonington High School in 1941. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service until 1943, then enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in France and Germany, and attained the rank of Sergeant in the Armored Maintenance Division of the 22nd Armored Infantry. He married flight nurse Lt. Rita Corrigan in Heidelberg, Germany on February 16, 1946. After World War II ended, they settled in Pawcatuck and he worked the next half century furthering the family business which had begun two generations earlier. In 1951, he graduated from Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, and in 1955 he and his brothers, Leo and Bill, became co-owners of Higgins Pharmacy, Inc. in Pawcatuck. In 1980, Mr. Higgins expanded the business to a second location in Mystic. He retired in 1996. Mr. Higgins led a lifetime of service to his family, his church, and his community. He was past president, and Steward, of the Westerly-Pawcatuck Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, which had been co-founded by his father 20 years earlier, past Board Member of the Westerly Rotary Club, past President of the Stonington Visiting Nurses Association, past chairman of the Mystic Downtown Merchants Association, chaired the Mystic Merchants Group that brought forth the signs of "Welcome To Downtown Historic Mystic", member of the Connecticut Pharmaceutical Association for over 50 years, and past Chairman of the Downtown Westerly-Pawcatuck Merchants Association of the Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Higgins was a lifelong communicant of St. Michael Church in Pawcatuck, and a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 50 years. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his three children, Janice (Higgins) Rissler of Stonington, James P. Higgins of Burbank, CA, and Michael J. Higgins, R.Ph of Clinton; 15 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a brother, J. Leo Higgins; a sister Marie Marr, and numerous loving in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, William J. Higgins and Francis Higgins; and a sister, Patricia Kelleher of Norwich. Funeral arrangements are by the Gaffney-Dolan Funeral Home, where calling hours TODAY, 5-7 p.m. Funeral Service will he held Saturday, 9 a.m. at St. Michael Church, 60 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck. Interment will be held at the convenience of th family. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the St. Michael School Educational Endowment Trust, c/o R. Woodworth, 63 Liberty Street, Pawcatuck, CT 06379

To Plant Memorial Trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Published in Hartford Courant on Mar. 1, 2002.