Alicia (Plikaitis) Helen Junghans Obituary | May 7, 2026
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Alicia Helen (Plikaitis) Junghans, 80, of Ellington, Connecticut. Alicia passed away peacefully in hospice care at UCONN Health on May 7, 2026, after a courageous 15-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. She was surrounded by her family and the compassionate nurses who kept her comfortable in her final days.
Alicia was born on August 23, 1945, in Hartford, Connecticut. She attended Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School before moving with her family to Manchester in 1958. She continued at St. Rose Catholic School in East Hartford and graduated from Manchester High School in 1963.
From an early age, Alicia felt called to Nursing. At 14, she began working as a “pinkie” at Manchester Memorial Hospital and became a nurse’s aide at 16. Her dedication earned her a scholarship to the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated in 1966. While working as a registered nurse in Hartford Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, she met her husband, Edward Junghans, after caring for him as his nurse, following his car accident. They married in 1967 and shared 59 years together, raising their three children in Ellington, Connecticut, where they moved in 1972.
Alicia devoted her life to nursing and patient care. She worked in Hartford Hospital’s first Respiratory Intensive Care Unit before moving to Radiology, and later transitioned to Endoscopy back at Manchester Hospital. She also served as a case manager for Travelers and United Healthcare. Alicia remained active in the Hartford Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association throughout her life, serving on its Board of Directors and maintaining lifelong friendships with classmates from the Class of 1966.
Her passion for medicine and patient care also fueled her determination in facing cancer. Diagnosed in 2009 and given only 5 years to live, Alicia exceeded every expectation with remarkable strength and resilience. She participated in clinical trials for Multiple Myeloma, helping to advance treatments for others facing the disease.
Alicia was known for her energy, strong will, and vibrant personality. She loved spending time with friends and family and had many creative talents. She enjoyed her knitting projects, making gifts for loved ones, and was also known for her homemade candies and cakes. Besides herb gardening, she loved watching birds from her sunroom, reading historical fiction and also, for a time, had sung in the St. Luke’s church choir, and was a member of the Ellington Women’s Club.
Alicia especially loved the ocean and spending summers on Nantucket Island, where she learned traditional Nantucket basket weaving. Adventurous by nature, she and her husband learned to fly Cessna airplanes at Ellington Airport and made their first solo flights to the island back in 1977. Though she never fulfilled her wish to skydive, she was adamant, “If you want to do something in life, don’t wait. Do it.”
She is survived by her husband, Edward Junghans, of Ellington; her daughter, Heidi Junghans of Germany; her son, Erik Junghans of Sandwich, Massachusetts. Her daughter, Gretchen Fitzpatrick, passed away in November 2025. She is also survived by her brother, Douglas Plikaitis of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, her step-brother Fr. Anthony Spilka, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, several cousins, grandchildren, her nieces and her cat, Callie.
