Hadlock
Longtime Orange resident Betty Hadlock is the 2025 recipient of the Orange Democratic Town Committee’s O’Sullivan Award, which honors a member of the community for their contributions to the community in the spirit of the O’Sullivan family.
Hadlock grew up in West Haven. After graduation from Lauralton Hall, she attended college in Boston where she met her future husband, Kevin, on her first weekend away from home. They married in 1971 and started married life in California, where Kevin was stationed as a naval officer. They spent time living in California, Texas, New Zealand and England, during which time they had four children.
The family returned to Connecticut in 1981, settling in Orange. Hadlock soon began a 28-year teaching career in Region 13 (Durham-Middlefield). She was an active member of the Turkey Hill School PTA. She was a softball coach for a number of years and an inaugural member of the Orange Herricanes, an over-30 women’s soccer team. She played on the team for 17 years – both spring and fall seasons – as the team goalie.
After her retirement in 2013, she joined the Orange Historical Society, and soon became a member of the OHS Board of Directors, a position she continues to hold. Hadlock joined the Garden Club of Orange in her second year of retirement. She has served as the recording secretary and is currently the club’s vice president.
Hadlock is also a long-time member of the Orange Lions Club. For several years she co-chaired the Lions’ biggest fundraiser of the year, the annual spring wine tasting. She has also developed and chaired the vision screening program for all preschoolers and elementary school children in Orange.
Hadlock is a longtime member of the Orange Democratic Town Committee and has served as an elected member of the Orange Board of Education since 2015. Now in her third four-year term on the board, she serves as chair of the Policy, Personnel, & Transportation Committee, and as vice chair of the Curriculum Committee.
Hadlock is a grandmother to seven, all who live out of state.
She will be honored at an event on Thursday, March 27 at 5:30 p.m. at Birchwoods at Oak Lane. For information on attending or taking out a congratulatory ad in the commemorative program, contact Jody Dietch at JLDOrange@yahoo.com or at 203-314-9975.