Ronald A. Cirillo, 67, of Old Lyme, formerly of Meriden, died on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at his home after a lengthy illness. Born in Meriden on June 6, 1948, son of the late Robert Cirillo, Sr. and Claire (Daniels) Cirillo, he had resided in Old Lyme for the past sixteen years. He attended Meriden Schools and was employed by Westbrook Concrete Block for several years.He is survived by four sisters, Carole Clark of Wallingford, Bonnie Mohler of Iowa, Patti Cazino of New York and Debbie Daniels of Wallingford; two brothers, Dennis Cirillo of East Haddam and Bill Daniels of Hartford and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Bobby Cirillo, Jr., of Kansas and Joey Daniels of New London.Friends and relatives are invited to attend a funeral service to be held on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden at 12noon. Friends may call at the funeral home Tuesday morning prior to the service from 11 to 12. Burial will be private.
Ronald Cirillo
Alice Severa
Alice J. Severa, 96, beloved wife of the late John F. Severa, died on Sunday, March 22, 2015 at Masonicare Health Center after a long illness. Born in Meriden on February 4, 1919, she was the daughter of the late George and Julia (Markowski) Solek. She was a lifelong Meriden resident and had attended Meriden High School. Mrs. Severa was employed by the Lord Cromwell Restaurant for fifteen years until her retirement. She was a veteran of World War II, having served with the US Army. She was a parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church. She enjoyed playing cards, frequent trips to Cape Cod and spending time with her grandchildren. She is survived by two daughters, Mary Shanahan and her husband Tom of Southington and Donna Vercher and her husband Joseph of Wallingford; three grandchildren, Alicia Vercher, Jennifer Vercher and Christine Yorzinski; one great-granddaughter, Emma Yorzinski; one brother, Thomas Mudry and his wife Anne of Meriden and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her son John A. Severa; two sisters, Mary Petroske and Anne Hopson; five brothers, George, John, Walt and Henry Solek and Joe Mudry. The family is grateful and deeply indebted to her loving caregiver of four years, Mary Saunders, whose constant loving support allowed her to enjoy her life at home with her family. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 9:30 am from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden and at 10 am at St. Stanislaus Church, 82 Akron Street, Meriden for a Mass of Christian Burial. Burial with military honors will be in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday morning prior to the Mass from 8 to 9:30 am. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, or to the Alzheimer’s Association, Connecticut Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Highway, Suite 100, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.
Paul Virgulto
Paul Stanley Virgulto, 26, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, March 19, 2015. Born in Meriden on December 21, 1988, he was the son of Debra LaBounty Virgulto and Mark C. Virgulto Jr. He was a lifelong resident of Meriden and was a graduate of Maloney H.S. Class of 2006. Paul was the owner of O & S Contracting Services. Paul was a standout athlete, having a special passion for baseball and hockey. He was an All-Star pitcher on many local baseball teams, starting with his years at Jack Barry Little League. He also played hockey for many years with the Middlesex Red Devils, and was well known as a prolific goal scorer and playmaker. Paul was a constant All-Star throughout his life and he was an inspiration to many younger athletes. He was also an avid fisherman. Besides his parents, he is survived by his twin girls whom he called his princesses, Olivia and Sofia Virgulto of Meriden; his seven younger siblings, Joshua Virgulto and his fiancée Justine Baran, Ashley Virgulto, Mark C. Virgulto III, Brittany Virgulto, Brianna Virgulto, Ariel Virgulto, and Jordan Virgulto, all of Meriden; his paternal grandparents, Phyllis Tornberg of Wallingford and Mark C. Virgulto Sr. of East Haven and his wife Lydia; three uncles, Robert LaBounty of Meriden, Paul Virgulto and his wife Dena of Wallingford, and James Virgulto of New Britain; one aunt, Stephanie Ottochian and her husband Phil of Meriden; many aunts, uncles and cousins, including his special great-aunt Marguerite Gamberdella and her husband Vinny of Westbrook and close cousins, Kirsten and Dakota Virgulto of Wallingford; a nephew, Joshua Virgulto; and “Auntie” Linda Lagacé. Paul is predeceased by his maternal grandparents Robert and Betty LaBounty. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 28th, 2015 at 10 a.m. at Faith Living Church, 20 Grove St, Plantsville, CT 06479. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial will be in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden, CT 06450 from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27th, 2015. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made payable to Debra Virgulto, 46 Del Terrace, Meriden, CT 06450 for the benefit of Paul’s childrens’ education.
Louis F. Dolceacqua, Sr.
Dean Papandrea
Wilhelmina Morgan Conquest
Joseph Maniscalco
Joseph C. Maniscalco, 87, of Meriden, beloved husband of the late Mary Lou (Cerrone) Maniscalco, passed away on Sunday March 29, 2015 at Apple Rehab-Coccomo in Meriden. Born on August 7, 1927 in Meriden, he was the son of the late Rosario and Filomena Emmanuelle Maniscalco. He proudly served in the US Army during WWII. Joseph was employed by the International Silver Co., was an inspector for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft and also worked at Merl Inc. of Meriden for many years. He was a parishioner of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and a member of the North Italian Club in Meriden. Joseph was an avid golfer, he was well known at Hunter Golf Club as a player and starter and was affectionately known as Papa Joe He is survived by his daughter Mary Jo Merliss and her husband Rick of Meriden; two grandchildren, Marisa Jo Merliss and her husband Michael Minarik of NYC and Mark J. Merliss and his girlfriend Kari Zienkowicz of Meriden, also survived by his brother Anthony Maniscalco and his wife Marie of Bristol, a sister-in-law Eleanor Maniscalco of Meriden, a special friend Donato Lupacchino of Meriden and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Frank and sister Antoinette. A funeral service will be held on Thursday April 2nd at 11:00 a.m. at the John J. Ferry and Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main St. Meriden. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday, April 1st from 4 to 8 p.m.
Marie DeFelice
Marie D. DeFelice, 79, of South Meriden, wife of Anthony DeFelice, Jr., died on Tuesday, March 31, 2015. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Angels Church, 585 Main St., South Meriden CT. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Meriden. Relatives and friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main St., Meriden on Monday, April 6th from 4 to 8 p.m. A complete obituary will be published in the Record-Journal at a later date.
Francis Scotto
Francis J. Scotto, best known as Frank, died on March 28, 2015 at his home after a long illness. Born in Bronx, New York on November 18, 1941, he was the son of the late, Diaggio and Mary Scotto. He resided in Meriden and attended Meriden Trade School. Mr. Scotto was employed by Talcott Machine Products, retiring in 2004. He was a parishioner of St. Joseph Church. Mr. Scotto is survived by his wife, Mary Scotto; one son, Frankie Scotto; one stepson, John Hedding; one step-grandson, Zach Oleson; a sister-in-law, Ramona Scotto; three nieces, Lynn, Michelle and Donna and one nephew, Mike Scotto. He was predeceased by a brother, Mike Scotto. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial to be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 10 am at St. Joseph Church, 22 Goodwill Avenue, Meriden. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will be in Sacred heart Cemetery. Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden on Monday, April 6, 2015 from 4 to 7 pm. Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Dr. PO Box 5022, Wallingford, CT 06492.
Jessy Elizabeth Thomas
Alex Okolotowicz
Alex Okolotowicz, 95, husband of the late Anna (Turek) Okolotowicz, died on Friday, April 3, 2015 at Wadsworth Glen in Middletown. Born in Wallingford on August 29, 1919, he was the son of the late Jacob and Carolina (Bieldska) Okolotowicz. He was a resident of Meriden and Wallingford for most of his life and had graduated from Lyman Hall High School. Alex was employed by International Silver Company for forty-three years. He was a veteran of World War II, having served with the U.S. Army. He was a parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church. Alex was an avid fisherman and golfer and enjoyed watching sports on television. He is survived by one daughter, Anne Marie DuBois (Gerard) of Meriden, one son, Alan Olson of Ohio; five grandchildren, Allison Gamber (Michael), Jason, Robert, Peggy and Megan; one great-grandson, Ryan Thomas, who he really enjoyed; one sister, Emma Fazzalaro of Meriden, and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two brothers, Joseph and Thomas. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at 10 am at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden. Burial with military honors will be in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home prior to the service on Wednesday morning from 9 to 10 am. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Epilepsy Foundation of Connecticut, 386 Main Street, Middletown, CT 06457.
Carol L. Lesiak
Jacqueline Siering
Jacquelyn J. Siering, 81, of Meriden, wife of the late Donald G. Siering Jr., died Friday, Aril 3, 2015 at Waterbury Hospital after a long illness. Born in San Diego, California on June 11, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Anthony Peter and Dorothy (Thorpe) Woronick. Jacquie was a longtime resident of Meriden. She was a secretary at Meriden Orthopaedic Group and at Holy Angels Church as well as a parishioner and CCD teacher there. Jacquie left behind many friends in Meriden before her retirement to Arkansas where she also made many friends and fond memories. She is survived by a one son, Donald G. Siering Jr. of Waterbury; two granddaughters, Shelley Siering and Crystal Siering; three great-grandchildren, Farrah, Christian and Yousaf; one sister-in-law, Shirley Duffy of Meriden and several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by several brothers and sisters-in-law. The funeral will be held on Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 11 am from the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden and at 12 noon at Holy Angels Church for a Mass of Christian Burial. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday, April 8th from 4 to 8 pm. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the American Lung Association of CT, 45 Ash Street, East Hartford, CT 06108.
John Earle English, Sr
Gerard Benoit
Gerard L. Benoit, 84, husband of Jean Rademacher-Benoit, died on April 28, 2015 at Elim Park in Cheshire surrounded by his loving family. Born in Meriden, CT on February 11, 1931, he was the son of the late Arthur M. and Alma (Francouer) Benoit. He was a lifelong resident of Meriden and had attended local schools. He was a parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church. Gerard was a forty-eight year member of the Meriden Lodge of Elks # 35, serving seventeen years as an Officer, past Officer of the Year, and two terms as an exalted Ruler. He was also an honorary Life Member. He is survived by seven grandchildren, Melanie and Jamie Kazmercyk, Kayleigh and Sydney Brooks, Alicia Flis and Morgan and Scotty Wilcock; one brother, Arthur L. Benoit and his wife Agnes of Portland, Maine; four step-daughters, Donna Kazmercyk (Paul), Bonnie Rademacher-Flis (Robert), Lisa Brooks (Shawn) and Jennifer Wilcock (Shawn). He was predeceased by two sisters, Joan Paradis and Mary Ann Antonucci. The funeral will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 10 am at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will be in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden on Friday, May 1, 2015 from 4 to 7 pm. Should friends desire, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Drive, Wallingford, CT 06492
Pamela Pachuk
Pamela A. Pachuk, 66, of Meriden, CT, died peacefully on April 28, 2015 at Hartford Hospital after a very long and tremendously courageous battle. Born in Meriden, Pam graduated from Maloney High School and went on to pursue her love of fashion at Academie Moderne in Boston. Her life’s journey included living in Italy and in St. Louis, MO but in the end she found her way back to Meriden which is where she lived until her passing. She was truly a “Meriden Girl” at heart, enjoying the comraderie of her high school Reunion Committee. Quick witted and always provoking a laugh, Pam loved nothing more than spending time with family and friends. One of her favorite pleasures was sitting on the beach with family, whether in Old Saybrook, CT or South Bethany Beach, DE. In her quiet time, she was an avid reader, once spending a summer churning through the “100 Classic Books Challenge.” She was keenly intelligent and there was no crossword puzzle she could not tackle with great success. Pam was a beautiful person – passionate, strong willed, and artistic. Pam was employed by Everybody’s Market in Cheshire, CT for many years, making lasting friendships with coworkers and customers along the way. Pam is survived by her sisters Patricia Hofmann of Huntingtown, MD and Penny Sigal of South Windsor, CT, brothers–in-law John Hofmann and Steve Sigal, nieces Heather Hofmann of Orlando, FL, and Callie Sigal Mattson of Chicago, IL, and nephews Michael Hofmann of Port Republic, MD and Zachary Sigal of Philadelphia, PA and great niece Lyndsie Hofmann. She is also survived by her special cousins, Thomas Roncaioli of Meriden, CT and Craig Roncaioli of West Hartford, CT. Pam was predeceased by her parents, Mary Calhoun Pachuk and Anthony J. Pachuk. The family would like to extend its most heartfelt thanks to all of the doctors, nurses and staff at Hartford Hospital on Bliss 8 and ICU 7i who cared for Pam for these last several months. Your compassion and care are deeply appreciated. We would also like to thank Pam’s large circle of friends – mostly from the Maloney Class of ’67, especially Maureen Lodge and David Grodzicki, who were invaluable to Pam and her family during this trying time. Your support has meant more to the family than you will ever know. There are no words to express our deepest gratitude to David Rosenfeld who gave Pam the gift of life in June of 2002 Relatives and friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main St., Meriden, CT 06450 on May 3, 2015 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Burial will be private. Memorial donations can be made to the PKD Foundation, working toward a cure for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) at www.pkdcure.org or PO Box 871847, Kansas City, MO 64187-1847.
Andrea Reyes
Andrea (Rivera) Reyes, 87, wife of the late Tomas Reyes, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at Coccomo Nursing Home. Born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico on February 4, 1928, she was the daughter of the late Eustaquio Rivera and Soledad Ramos. She was a long time resident of Meriden and worked at Meriden-Wallingford Hospital until her retirement. She was a strong and devoted mother and will be greatly missed. Andrea is survived by three sons: Carmelo (Jackie) Reyes of Fort Myers, FL, Miguel (Patricia) Reyes of Hampton, CT and Ariel (Rosemary) Reyes of Wallingford; four daughters: Maria E. Reyes of Fort Myers, Luz N. Reyes of Middletown, Olga (Blake) Greiser of Silver Springs, FL and Ana (Mike) Rivera of Knoxville, TN; 15 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. She is also survived by several brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was predeceased by her granddaughter, Marilyn Gonzalez. Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 E. Main St., Meriden, CT 06450. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery. There are no calling hours. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association CT Chapter, 2075 Silas Deane Hwy #100, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.
Adeline Perry
Adeline “Della” Perry, 89, of Meriden, died on Friday, April 24, 2015 at Waters Edge Health Care in Middletown. Born on October 1, 1925, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Ann Dzikowski. She was an Inspector for New Departure in Meriden. Adeline was the sweetest, kindest and most caring person who loved her family dearly and will be greatly missed. She is survived by three nieces, Sister Cynthia Rouleau, S.N.D. of Worcester, MA, Linda Cox of Bristol and Carol Riordan of Stamford; two great-nieces, Melissa Tanguay and Melanie McConnell; two great-nephews, Tim Riordan and Michael Riordan and several great-great nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by several brothers and sisters, including a very special sister, Jeanette Rouleau. A service for Adeline will take place at a later date.
Alfred Damm
Damm, Alfred J., 88, husband of Genevieve (Tencza) Damm, died on Sunday, April 19, 2015, at The Bradley Home, Meriden, CT. Born in Meriden on April 16, 1927, he was the son of the late Jacob and Anna (Krzak) Damm. He is survived by his wife Genevieve of 67 years; a daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and Thomas Klonoski; two sons Richard Damm and David Damm; six grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by 2 brothers and 3 sisters. Alfred lived his life in Meriden and moved to Wallingford, after retiring in 1989. Alfred was a master electrician and had been a superintendent and foreman for several area contractors. He was a member of the IBEW Local 90. He was a veteran of World War II having served with the U.S. Navy. Mr. Damm was a parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church. Family and friends are invited to attend his Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, April 22nd at 10am at St. Stanislaus Church, 82 Akron Street, Meriden. Burial will follow in St. Stanislaus Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to The John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main Street, Meriden. There are no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Alfred J. Damm may be made to the Franciscan Home Care and Hospice Care, 267 Finch Avenue, Meriden, CT 06451.
Lawrence Cantliffe
Lawrence Robert Cantliffe, Jr. (Larry) 90, husband of Geraldine (Jeri) Cantliffe, passed peacefully into the arms of his Creator early on the morning on April 17th, 2015 at The Masonicare Hospice in Wallingford, CT. He was born on March 5th, 1925 in Paterson, NJ to Lawrence Cantliffe Sr and Martha Cantliffe. Larry was a sharpshooter and later joined the Army Air Corps in 1943 and trained as a pilot. He served from Arizona to the Aleutian Islands, and was part of the “Operation Pinball” training for flight gunnery in Texas before his discharge in 1945. Larry then attended NC State and majored in Forestry Products, graduating in 1950. Larry and Jeri were married in Raleigh, NC on Sept 1, 1949. After graduation, Larry held several positions before going to work for Georgia Pacific. After winning the top salesman prize after only two years, he used the bonus to return to his love of flying and bought a twin engine Cessna. In 1956 he started Northeast Lumber Sales with a partner, and embarked on a very successful career as an entrepreneur. After starting Northeast Lumber Sales, Larry became active in the Meriden community both through his church and through Rotary International. He and Jeri hosted many exchange students from all over the globe, and in turn three of their children participated in the exchange program as students in Sweden, Japan and the Philippine Islands. His sense of fair play and ethics were valuable example to everyone who met him. He was an avid outdoorsman, skilled fly fisherman, a devoted and loving husband, and an amazing father and grandfather. His keen sense of humor ranged from jokes to quotations from Pink Panther movies. And no one can forget his Donald Duck imitation! Besides his loving wife, he is survived by his sister, Lois (Cantliffe) Pesanelli; his five children; Eileen (Cantliffe) Guenther, David Cantliffe, Lynn (Cantliffe) Etchart, Lisa (Cantliffe) Donlon, and Jonathan Cantliffe and by his eight grandchildren; Paige, Catherine and Thomas Etchart and Brenton, John, Wesley, Endia, Sierra Cantliffe. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service on Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 10 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 159 East Main St., Meriden. Everyone is asked to meet directly at church. Burial with military honors will be in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the John J. Ferry & Sons Funeral Home, 88 East Main St., Meriden, CT 06450 on Friday, April 24th from 4 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Foundation at http://www.alzfdn.org/