Law professor Mary Moers Wenig of Westport, Conn., died on Dec. 18.

She died at Yale-New Haven Hospital after a long illness.

Before joining the Quinnipiac faculty in 1978, she taught at St. John’s University School of Law and Pace University School of Law.

“Mary Wenig was a great colleague,” said professor Alexander Meiklejohn. “She set an inspiring example of dedication to the cause of women’s rights and of professionalism in her work.”

Meiklejohn said she was also extraordinarily generous. “Her warmth and sense of humor were always in evidence, even in the advanced stages of her illness,” he said. “We will miss her very much indeed.”

In addition to her long career at Quinnipiac, Professor Wenig was a nationally recognized expert in taxation, trusts and estates, and marital property.

“[Wenig] was a leading scholar in her field and profession,” said Brad Saxton, dean of the Quinnipiac Law School. “She was also a true pioneer, joining a handful of extraordinary women who helped pave the way for current generations of female law students and attorneys.”

Wenig was a devoted wife and mother. She was married to the late Jerome Wenig and is survived by her children, Rabbi Margaret Moers Wenig and Michael Moers Wenig, their spouses, Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and Dr. Brenda Ballachey and her grandchildren Liba, Molly, Joseph, Min She.

Her funeral was held on Jan. 20 at the Westport Town Hall.

Additional plans to honor Wenig’s life and memory have not yet been announced.