Thomas Earle “Tom” McLaughlin, 65 of Wethersfield, beloved husband of Karen (Hartigan) McLaughlin, passed away peacefully, Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at Hebrew Home & Hospital. Tom was born October 2, 1949 and raised in Burlington, VT, eldest of eleven children to the late Earle and Theresa (DesVergnes) McLaughlin. He attended Rice Memorial High School, then the University of Vermont earning a Bachelor’s degree, Class of 1971. While in college he pledged and was accepted to Kappa Sigma Fraternity, in addition to being an All Conference Football Player. Tom began an extensive career in Law Enforcement in Vermont; he was a Chittenden County Deputy Sheriff, a Police Officer with the Burlington Police Dept., then a US Deputy Marshall for the State of Vermont. During this time he met his wife to be, Karen Hartigan. In 1985 Tom and Karen relocated to the South End of Hartford, then in 1991 they moved their family to Wethersfield, where they currently reside. In 1992 he went to work as a truck driver for County Distributors/Waybest Chicken and remained there until his retirement in October of 2014. Tom also coached Wethersfield Youth Football for over 10 years. Tom’s greatest joy and achievement was his family and the time they shared together. Tom will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by his wife Karen and his loving family; his son and daughter-in-law, Seamus McLaughlin and Diana Nadler, and their daughter Ella Cait McLaughlin, all of Guilderland, NY; his daughter Jessica McLaughlin of Chicago, IL, and her partner, Michael Auger; ten siblings and their spouses, Mary and Robert Barry of Pittsfield, MA, Kevin McLaughlin and his wife Valentina, of Burlington, VT, Jane McLaughlin and her husband Robin Synder, of Huntington, VT, Timothy McLaughlin and Terry Wixson of So. Burlington, VT, Sheila McLaughlin-Gorski of Clearwater, FL, Judith McLaughlin and her husband Robert Cormier, of Franklin, VT, James and Laura McLaughlin of Underhill, VT, John and Petra (Mix) McLaughlin of Goldsborough, NC, Colleen McLaughlin of So. Burlington, VT, and Louise and Edward Strong of So. Hero, VT; his mother-in-law, Vivian Hartigan of Wallingford; his brothers and sisters-in-law, John Steven Hartigan and his wife Anne Mittelstadt, of Bakersfield, VT, Beth and Greg Ives of Wallingford, Patricia and Michael Titus of Gloucester, MA, and Michael Hartigan of Colchester VT; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. A Memorial Celebration will be held from 5-9pm on Saturday February 28th at the Elks Lodge located at 825 Cromwell Ave Rocky Hill CT, 06067. In Lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to the Helen and Harry Gray Cancer Center of Hartford Hospital. Tom’s funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Farley-Sullivan Funeral Home, 34 Beaver Rd., Wethersfield. To extend online condolences, share a memory, and/or light a memorial candle, please visit farleysullivan.com.