Kristen Prior

It is with deep, deep sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of Kristen Thuerk Prior, 39, on Sept. 17, 2026, at Brigham and Woman’s Hospital. Kristen was not just a light, she was a fire.

Kristen was born in Connecticut’s Bridgeport Hospital on May 17, 1987, daughter of Karen (Cooney) and Judson Thuerk of Hopkinton. She lived her entire childhood in the same house on Southpond Circle in Cheshire, Connecticut. It was a magical childhood filled with neighborhood bike rides, endless hours of dress-up and backyard kickball games. Kristen spent every summer with her family at Paradise Country Club, where she discovered her passion for swimming. Kristen couldn’t stay away from the pool — her first job was as a lifeguard at Copper Valley Country Club. It came so naturally to her, keeping everyone safe while having a blast doing it.

Kristen’s love of the water continued at Cheshire High School. She was a part of the historic undefeated Cheshire High swim team. But it wasn’t the wins that she carried with her years later, it was the friendships. Kristen may have been a talented swimmer, but her true talent was connecting with people. Kristen made friends everywhere she went. She was magnetic; people were drawn to her. And college was no different. Kristen attended Bentley University, where she graduated in 2009 with a degree in marketing. She was on the swim team and was a multi-event champion, even holding a record for some time. The strong friendships she made there led her to stay in the Boston area after graduation.

After college, Kristen first worked for Epsilon as an account manager before landing a dream job at New Balance. Kristen worked at New Balance for 12 years, rare in today’s world where people are switching jobs every couple of years. She was loyal, and she was driven. She had a passion for what she did, working her way up to head of marketing of the North America Direct-to-Consumer Division.

But her greatest accomplishment was her beautiful family. Kristen met the love of her life, Matthew Prior, at a wedding. They got married on Sept. 8, 2018, and their love story became one for the ages. They built a life together in Hopkinton with their two beautiful children, Judson and Hadley. Kristen was the most incredible wife and mother.

Kristen was kind, thoughtful, hysterical and wild. She was excited about every part of life. Everything was “the best,” even the simple things — the BEST oysters she’s ever tasted, the BEST show she’s ever seen, the BEST hat she’s ever bought. She never turned down a trip to Nantucket. She recently jumped all in at a chance to learn a new game (mahjong). She always made sure holidays were magic. But it wasn’t about the trips, the games or the parties. It was about the people. Kristen gave her time and her love endlessly to everyone who crossed her path so that when people came into her life, they never left.

In addition to her parents, Kristen leaves behind her soulmate, Matt Prior, and her two precious children, Judson Prior (6) and Hadley Prior (5), as well as her dear sister, Lindsay Maus, and brother-in-law, Alex Maus. Aunt “Titten” was the most amazing aunt to nephews Sawyer and Finley Maus of Rutland. In addition, she leaves behind her in-laws, John and Ellen Prior of Cheshire, Connecticut, and brothers-in-law, Pat (Kate) Prior and Jack (Allison) Prior, as well as nieces and nephews Quinn, Reese, Jack, Molly and Beau. She will be remembered forever by too many family members and friends to count.

Visitation will be held on Friday, Sept. 25, from 3-7 p.m. at Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton. A funeral service will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26, at 10 a.m. at Faith Community Church in Hopkinton (146 East Main Street). Interment will be held privately at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Prior Family Memorial Fund at Unibank for Savings.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.