Obituary for William J. "Billy Mac" McNamara

Former New Britain Mayor, William J. McNamara (“Billy Mac”) passed away peacefully at his home in New Britain, Ct., early Sunday morning, April 16, 2023 surrounded by his loving family. Bill was a lifelong New Britain resident with over 30 years of public service.

William (Bill) served honorably with the U. S. Army during the Korean War as a Medic in Mainz, Germany. While there, he taught himself German as the only American Fencer in a German Fencing Club. Later, he attended Michigan State University on a fencing scholarship; where he received a B.S. in Police Administration. He met his wife Saundra there, to whom he would have been married for 63 years this May. Upon returning to New Britain, he joined the New Britain Police Force. During his time as a policeman, he attended the University of Hartford where he received a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education then taught German and English at Pulaski High School for 16 years.

While teaching, he became an Alderman and in 1977 he won the election for Mayor of the City of New Britain; continuing onto win five more terms; making Bill McNamara to this day, the longest running mayor in New Britain history, serving 6 consecutive terms in office. One of his proudest moments as Mayor was hosting President Ronald Regan’s 1987 visit to New Britain, Ct.

After his 12 year tenure as Mayor, Bill returned to teaching at New Britain High School for 6 more years. Upon retirement, he accepted a position at C.C.S.U. as a part time adjunct professor of German, where he taught for more than 20 years. While teaching at Central, Bill and Sam frequently took trips overseas becoming seasoned world travelers.

Bill was a member of the Irish American Club, Northwestern Vets, VFW, B.P.O.E. Lodge of Elks #957 and the Donau Club where he taught German for 25 years. Known for his quick Irish wit, a natural born politician, who was highly extroverted and a lifelong Democrat; as popular with residents of New Britain as with his high school and college students. He demonstrated an extraordinary gift for learning and speaking several languages; spoke German fluently and others nearly fluently.

Bill is survived by his wife, Saundra (Sam), daughters, Megan McNamara and Amy Kreger (Kevin),; sons Patrick (Rebecca) and Sean McNamara. He is also survived by granddaughters, Ashley and Claire McNamara and Priscilla Kreger; grandsons James McNamara and Henry Kreger and two nieces, Kellyanne Shaker-Tuscano and Kari Shaker Hudson; and several other family members. He was predeceased by his parents, Helen V. (Malinowski) and William F. McNamara; his daughter, Brigid Kay and son Kevin; his sister Kathleen Shaker Machowski, Godson and nephew, Paul A. Shaker, Jr. and niece, Katie Shaker.

Funeral rites for Bill will be held Monday, April 24, 2023 - Liturgy of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. at Saint Katharine Drexel Parish at Saint Jerome R.C. Church 1010 Slater Road, New Britain, Ct.
Attendees are asked to go directly to the church not the funeral home, prior to the service. Committal service and final resting place will be in St. Mary Cemetery, 1709 Stanley Street, New Britain, Ct., which will be private for immediate family members only.

Relatives and friends may call at the Paul A. Shaker Funeral Home, Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Bill’s memory to the Girls and Boys Club of New Britain. To share a memory of Billy Mac or to extend condolences to the McNamara Family, please visit:www.shakerfuneralhome.com

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Leo Chester Domijan passed away peacefully after a short illness July 7, 2013, at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center under the care of Hospice. He was born one of six children to Stanley and Mary Domijan in New Britain, Conn. He met and married his wife of 71 years, Helen Bernacki in New Britain, where they raised three children. Leo was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran. He served with the 50th Air Service Group in the Asiatic Pacific Theater of operations. He was a charter member of the VFW in Farmington.

Leo graduated from Teachers College in New Britain and received a master’s degree from The University of Connecticut. Leo taught math and was athletic director at Pulaski and New Britain High School. Leo also taught calculus and statistics at Central Connecticut State University.

Leo was a member of the Sacred Heart Church in New Britain and St. Paul’s in Kensington before moving to Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where he became a parishioner at St. Ignatius Loyola.

Leo is survived by his daughter, Dorothea Tribuiani and her husband, Louis; grandchildren, Michael Tribuiani and his wife, Kimberly; Robert Tribuiani and his wife, Rinku; Mark Tribuiani, David Domijan and Tara Domijan; great-grandchildren, Isabella Tribuiani, Emma Tribuiani, Matthew Tribuiani, and Benjamin Tribuani. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law, Nancy Brindle; his brother, Mickey Domijan; his sister, Claire and her husband, Stanley Nurzyk; sister-in-law, Sally Domijan, numerous nieces, nephews, friends and a large extended family.

Leo was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Helen Bernacki; daughter Barbara Lemanski and son, David Domijan; brothers, Henry, Al, and Harry Domijan. Leo will be missed for his World War II stories and his attention to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, July 15, 2013, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 485 Alling St., Kensington. He will be laid to rest with military honors in Sacred Heart Cemetery in New Britain. Burritt Hill Funeral Home, 332 Burritt St., New Britain, is serving his family. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Leo’s names to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To share a memory with his family, please visit us at www.burritthill.com.

 

 

      

 

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PEASE, Kathryn F.
Kathryn F. Pease of West Hartford died Saturday (July 14, 2012). Born in Miami, FL, daughter of the late George H. and Kathryn (Bresnahan) Pease, she lived in West Hartford most of her life. She graduated from St. Joseph College, West Hartford and retired from teaching after 30 years with the New Britain Public School System. Kathryn enjoyed golfing, travel, and sharing her good humor and caring with her many friends in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
Her funeral service will be Tuesday, July 17, 10 a.m. at the Sheehan-Hilborn-Breen Funeral Home, 1084 New Britain Ave., West Hartford. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. There will be no calling hours.

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     John T. “Jack” Halpin Jr

 

John T. “Jack” Halpin Jr., a long-time Plainville resident and former teacher, passed away Christmas Eve at the age of 85 after a long-term illness.

Jack was predeceased by Eleanor (Lorenzo) Halpin, his wife of 46 years, and his two sisters, Patricia and Dorothy. Jack is survived by his brother, Donald and two sisters, Ann and Carol. He is also survived by his six children and spouses, John and Barbara Halpin, Linda and Philip Daniel Albert, Bruce Halpin and Lynnda Miller, Susan and David Milhollan, Nancy Scotto di Luzio, Tracy Halpin-Wood and Daniel Wood. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren, Kerri, Kimberly, Jodi, Casey, Jamie, Nicholas, Wyatt, Samantha, Daniel, Alysa, Raymond, Kylene, Katelynn, Ryan and two great-grandchildren, Aiden and Madeleine.

Jack is also survived by his life-long best friend, George “Baldy” Sheele, and more recently his lady friend, Marilyn Lombardo.

Jack led an active life and was always involved in physical fitness endeavors. Jack played organized sports into his 60’s including hockey, basketball and golf. When he hung up his skates, he took up bowling and remained involved in leagues until the end.

Furthermore, until just months before his death, he would walk for miles each day around Plainville or anywhere his world travel schedule placed him; usually sporting Red Sox or Celtic gear.

Ever since his retirement in 1986, Jack was able to satisfy his love of travel. By air, land and sea Jack took trips to every corner of the earth spending almost half of his time out of Connecticut. Jack was never short of traveling companions or friends to visit.

Born in Lowell, Mass., to John T. Sr. and Anna in 1925, Jack attended Lowell schools and was always active in sports. A World War II veteran, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1943 upon graduation from high school and served until 1946 as a signalman aboard transport ships to Europe during the war earning a purple heart.

After the Navy, Jack pursued his athletic career while attending college at Lowell Tech. At Tech he played both football and baseball. Jack’s standout pitching was spotted by scouts. In 1947 to 1948 the young southpaw spent time in the Dodger organization. While with the Dodgers AAA Montreal Royals, he was a teammate to both Jackie Robinson and Tommy Lasorda.

Jack met Eleanor Jean Lorenzo in 1947 and they wed in January 1948. After the 1948 baseball season he became a dad. Realizing a full-time baseball career would not provide for a long-term future, he enrolled at Boston University and earned a B.A. and Phi Beta Kappa in 1952 and a Med in 1953. Throughout his college days he continued to pitch in Canadian leagues every summer where he pitched and later managed teams in Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax and St. Johns until 1962. He received numerous awards for his play and managerial accomplishments at each of his stops.

As the family grew through the decade of the ’50s, Jack came to Connecticut to pursue teaching and coaching opportunities at Amity High School in Orange, Joel Barlow High School in Reading and finally Pulaski/New Britain high schools. He taught physical ed and biology and coached almost everything including football, baseball, golf and swimming through the years.

His years at Pulaski spanned from the first day the high school opened, until its last when New Britain consolidated all high school students into the new New Britain High.

A celebration of John’s life will be held Thursday, Dec. 30, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. from Bailey Funeral Home, 48 Broad St., Plainville, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. at St. Matthew Church, Forestville. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Bristol. Family and friends are welcome to gather Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2010, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Jack’s name to The Plainville Public Library, 56 E. Main St., Plainville, CT 06062.

To share your memories with John’s family please visit his memorial tribute wall at www.bailey-funeralhome.com.

 

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MARSH, William G. William G. Marsh, noted New Britain educator and son of the late William and Anna (Overstrom) Marsh, passed away October 3, 2009.

He was born in New Britain on November 2, 1912, and resided there all his life. For the past six years he was a resident of the Jerome Home in New Britain. Mr. Marsh received a Bachelor's degree in 1937 from the Teacher's College of Connecticut, now Central Connecticut State University, where he was class president and captain of the first football team. He received his Master's Degree from the University of Connecticut in secondary school administration and supervision, completed 30 hours beyond his Master's Degree at the University of Hartford and pursued further post-graduate studies at Yale and Boston Universities. Mr. Marsh spent his career as a teacher and public school administrator. He taught in Middletown from 1937-1938, and was appointed principal of the Broad Brook Grammar School in 1938. In New Britain he taught at Washington Junior High School in 1942. He became principal of the Northend Elementary School in 1946, and Roosevelt Junior High School in 1950. He opened the Pulaski Senior High School in 1961, serving there as principal until his retirement in 1974. He was a past member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Hartford Area Junior High School Principals, and Phi Delta Kappa Honorary Society. In 1979, Governor Grasso appointed him to the board of Trustees for the Connecticut State Colleges. Mr. Marsh was a photography and art buff. In later years he enjoyed gardening, golfing, and traveling with his wife and former high school sweetheart, Josephine (Rascoe) Marsh. They were married in 1940 and enjoyed 63 years together before her passing in 2003.

He is survived by daughter Linda Summers of Tolland: daughter Davida and son-in-law Michael Chudzik of Milford, MA; son Joel and daughter-in-law Barbara Marsh of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; four grandchildren: Marsh Summers, Tia Chudzik, William and John Marsh; and several nieces and nephews.

Calling hours will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday October 9, 2009 at the Farrell Funeral Home, 110 Franklin Square, New Britain, CT, with a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Peter Church, 98 Franklin Sq, New Britain on Saturday October 10, 2009 at 10 a.m. Burial will follow in St. Mary Cemetery 1309 Stanley St. New Britain, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of William Marsh to the Central Connecticut State University, Department of teacher Education, 1615 Stanley St. New Britain, CT 06050.To send a condolence or light a memorial candle, please visit www.FarrellFuneralHome.com

  Published in the Hartford Courant, October 7, 2009

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Herman Edward Miller  (published 7/27/09)

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Recently Cliff Cayer reached out via email to Mr. Ralph Leiper who taught our class Physics.    Nice to see Mr. Leiper is well and still active.   Now if we can only get him to send a picture with our Traveling sign !!   :o)

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Mr. Leiper,

I got your email address from your brother, Tom, a fellow ham operator.   Just wanted to drop you line to invite you to view the PHS Class of '68 web blog.  You will see pictures and notes from many of the graduates,  including some photos of the 40th class reunion held in New Britain back in June of this year.

There are many of us who fondly remember you and the impact you had on our lives.  Hope life has treated you well, and continues to do so. Many regards from your former student prankster, 

Cliff Cayer, Class of '68
October 12, 2008p>

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Sunday, October 19, 2008 7:31 AM
Subject: Re: Greetings from the Pulaski High Class of 1968

Hello Cliff:

How nice to hear from you! I can recall the name, but at the moment I'm having difficulty recalling the face after forty years...a senior moment?

I have been retired for four years now--retired from full-time teaching,  that is. I teach part time for the State of Connecticut where I teach adults who are leaving the business world to become public school teachers. They take a crash course to get certified. My job is to teach them how to teach science to teenagers, specifically how to teach physics, chemistry, earth science, or physical science.

I also occasionally do substitute teaching as well. I still miss the interaction with teenagers and substituting keeps that interaction alive in me.

I have one son, a police officer in NYC. My wife and I reside in Windsor Locks where I serve on the Board of Education. As you can see, even though  am retired, I remain active in education.

I'll check out the web site this week. Stay in touch, but please use my main e-mail address:   RLeiper@aol.com

Ralph Leiper