Obituary

Saturday, January 26, 2002

The Hartford Courant

Frank S. Vilardi Jr. of Colchester, a man with AIDS who championed the cause for others by starting a multifaceted program in Hartford, died Friday morning at home with his family at his side. He was 58.

Although he had been infected with AIDS since 1988, advanced drugs reduced the impact of the disease, and he died instead of lung cancer, his family said.

“The death is a huge, huge loss to the community,” said Shawn Lang, assistant director of the Connecticut AIDS Residence Coalition.

Vilardi co-founder of the Livingston Center in Broad Street, a drop-in center for the HIV-AIDS community, providing everything from food to information about the latest medical advancement. He was executive director of the Positive Action Coalition, a group that received the funding for the Living Center.

“He just wanted to help people,” said Virginia Krieded, a friend. “Even when he had AIDS and was fighting the battle, he still wanted to back to help people. He really was selfless.”

Tyron Leggett of Colchester, Vilardi’s partner, said he had inner courage. “He was a true fighter when it came to the strength of his convictions.”

Paul Botticello, executive director of AIDS Project Hartford, said Vilardi “was the heart and soul for the HIV-AIDS work done … since the 1980’s.”

He received a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University of Greencastle, Ind., and a master’s in social work from the university of Connecticut. He was a computer programmer before finding his calling as a social worker, friends said.