CITY OF STAMFORD CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

James was born on December 29, 1951, in Stamford Connecticut. Where he was a cadet in the Young Marines program at Naval Reserve and Training Center on Magee Avenue. He graduated from Stamford High School in 1970 and enlisted in the U.S. Navy at Stamford’s military recruiting station on Atlantic Street. His draft notice arrived on the same day he took his oath of enlistment and began active service on November 19, 1971. Upon graduation from boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois he attended Aviation Fleet Prep school in Millington, Tennessee to earn his Airman designation. He was then ordered to serve in USS Saratoga (CV- 60) which was stationed at Naval Station Mayport Florida.

During his time in the Navy, James visited Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Turkey, and Cuba. Upon discharge, he attained a rating of Ship’s Serviceman Petty Officer

Third Class (E-4). After his honorable discharge from the Navy on August 8, 1975, he attended Norwalk Community College and earned an associate degree in mass communications.

James went on to have a professional career as well as an exemplary career in community service in Stamford. He was a member of the Stamford Board of Representatives for 3 terms (6 years) and a member of the Stamford Auxiliary Fire Department. He served as a board member for Catholic Family Services and Stamford American Little League. He is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign Wars where he currently serves as Junior Vice Commander of Springdale Post 9617.

Jim married Deborah LaMotta in 1977. They have three children, Melissa, Christina, and Sean, one granddaughter, and a grandson on the way. James still lives in Stamford with his wife Deborah, and he continues to serve the city and veteran causes every day.

William J. Hennessey Sr. was born to Edward Aloysius and Marie (Knox) Hennessey on December 25, 1927, in Danbury, CT, where he grew up with his brothers Edward and George.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 18 and after basic training was assigned to Fort Sill in Oklahoma where he was part of its Field Artillery Brigade and became part of a tank crew.

After the war, William married Effie Salem and together they made their home in Brookfield, Connecticut with their children William, Jr. and Nanci. “Bill” as he was known by all, became a successful real estate broker and investor in the Danbury area, eventually founding his own firm where he specialized in commercial and industrial properties, which he ran until his death in 1986.

Like many of his generation, Bill did not have the opportunity to pursue higher education, but he extolled its benefits and encouraged his loved ones to pursue it. Being a part of the JWV scholarship program would have made him immensely proud, resulting in a big beaming Irish smile.

The Reverend Winton M. Hill III was born December 29, 1947, in Creswell, NC. Raised in Newark, New Jersey he joined his family church (Israel Memorial) at the age of six under the pastoral ministry of the Reverend John W. P. Collier Jr. He was called to preach at the age of 17 and licensed by Presiding Elder D. M. Owens, under the pastoral ministry of Reverend

B. Coolidge Burton. He is a graduate of Wilberforce University with a B.A. in Philosophy & Religion and Payne Theological Seminary with a M.Div. in Clinical Pastoral Care.

Reverend Hill has a richly diverse ministry, in addition to pastoring AME churches; he has been a University Pastor, VA Hospital Chaplain and a Chaplain in the U S Army, having earned the Army Achievement medal & the Bronze Star medal. During his pastoral ministry he has led congregations to build or purchase almost $2M of real property. Reverend Hill was an active member of the community; his church collaborated with Person to Person of Darien to provide summer enrichment programs for at risk children. He served on the board of CTE (Stamford’s Anti-poverty Agency) as chairman of the nominating committee and volunteer coordinator of Faith Based Initiatives. He served in many volunteer capacities, both in capital drive and allocations with the United Way and as a past board president. He was appointed co-chairperson of the Mayor’s Multi-Cultural Council for the City of Stamford Connecticut (1992-1996) and was also appointed to the city’s Police Commission, serving from 1996 to 2004. In 2001, while pastoring in Stamford, Connecticut, he was selected “Volunteer of the Year” by the Stamford Advocate and in 2002 was elected “Citizen of the Year” by the Jewish War Veterans (Stamford’s highest public recognition).

Reverend Hill has served as Presiding Elder of the New Brunswick, Philadelphia, and Dover Districts; he has recently retired as Presiding Elder of the Newark District. He has formerly served on the board of directors for Self Help Inc., First Episcopal District Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. In addition, he is an active member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Reverend Hill is married to Janis B. Hill, they have five children and eight grandchildren.

David M. Kaplan attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY, and went on to serve in the U.S. Army Signal Corps for twenty-one years. David retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After retirement, David completed two follow-on careers where he continued to apply his leadership and management skills as a project manager at a major not-for- profit center and managing the implementation of the company’s security products within the U.S. Federal Sector for a major software company.

He continues to devote a great deal of his efforts to Veterans Affairs and community involvement. David is an active member of The Stamford Veterans Council, The Jewish War Veterans Fred Robbins Post #142, and The Senior Men’s Association of Stamford. He also works with Congressman Jim Himes on his Veterans Affairs Advisory Board and Service Academy Selection Panel. David and his wife Elissa have raised two children and

a granddaughter. They are proud of their Jewish heritage and enjoy celebrating Jewish holidays with special deliveries of small gifts to dozens of our closest friends of all faiths.

Joseph Mitchell Kaye was born on January 28, 1920, in Kaunas, Lithuania. He immigrated to the U.S. at about three years old and became a U.S. citizen at the age of nine. He attended A.B. Davis High School in Mount Vernon, New York, and graduated from City College of New York. He served in the Army beginning in February 1942 after being turned down the day after Pearl Harbor Day due to imperfect vision. He was assigned to the Signal Corps in the United States Army Air Forces. He earned the rank of Master Sargent and served in France and England. After the war, he served in the New York National Guard. Joe married and attended Yale Law School. After graduation, Joe and Miriam (Mimi) moved to Riverside. Joe practiced law in Greenwich for his entire career at the firm of Hirschberg, Pettingill, Strong, and Nagle (later known as Whitman and Ransom). He and Miriam, both of whom were only children, raised a family of nine children (six of whom became attorneys). Joe passed away on December 2, 1994, at the age of 74.

John Robert O’Brien was born in Stamford on January 24, 1922, to George F. And Isabelle Finn O’Brien, John was the youngest of seven and attended Stamford High. He loved sailing and while at Stamford High, he would leave school to go down to the Stamford Navy recruiting office and try to enlist. Underage, the officers would call his mother and ask her to please come pick him up. He ultimately forged her signature and enlisted at the Norwalk recruiting station. On active duty during WWII from April 30, 1940, to April 27, 1946, “Red” served on Navy destroyers (USS Plunkett and USS Frank Knox) and was the Navy’s first-ever Chief Radarman. He saw action on Omaha Beach on D-Day in Normandy, as well as in Anzio Italy, Oran Africa, and Japan, earning a star in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, and five stars in the European-African Campaign.

John then went on to attend Columbia on the GI Bill and ultimately became the owner of Moody & O’Brien Land Surveyors in New Canaan.

He met his wife, Brigid, and they married on May 4, 1958. He and Brigid adopted two children through Catholic Family Services: John Patrick and Polly (Morrow).

John is very involved in Stamford civic life, where he has served on the Democratic City Committee and Board of Representatives and served twice as Commissioner of Public Works.

He passed away peacefully on July 27, 1998. He left Stamford, and the world, a better place, and continues to do so through his children, Patrick, and Polly), and his grandchildren, Kass, Alex, and Sophia

Second Lieutenant Joe Colavito was born and raised in Carmel, NY.  He attended Manhattanville College receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree in 2009 and a Master of Arts in Education in 2010. He began teaching music at Toquam Magnet Elementary School in August 2010 and then enlisted in the Connecticut Army National Guard in December of that year as a 42R, Army Musician. He attended basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia during the summer of 2011. In April 2012 he attended the Advanced Individual Training at the Army School of Music at Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, Virginia, completing it in June 2012, and then transferred briefly to the Virgin Islands National Guard, while teaching k-12 music on St. Croix. He returned to Stamford in December 2012 and started a full time job (AGR) at the supply NCO of the 102d Army Band in Rockville, CT.

In February of 2013, Joe joined the full time Guard force. Since then, he has served as the supply sergeant for the 102D Army Band, a recruiting and retention noncommissioned officer (NCO), and the marketing and social media NCO for the 6th Recruiting and Retention Battalion. In May of 2017, Joe accepted a position as a recruiter for the CT Army National Guard in Middletown, CT. In November 2019, Joe was transferred to the Stamford office.

Joe went on to State Officers Candidate School in March of 2020, which he completed in September 2021, and he accepted his commission in January 2022. Among Joe’s military achievements are that he graduated Basic Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Senior Leaders Course, Rifle Marksmanship Trainer Course, and Army Master Fitness Trainer Course.

Joe currently serves on the Stamford Patriotic and Special Events Committee.  In his free time, he sometimes performs at Curtain Call and he coaches fitness at Affinity Athletics in Stamford.

He is currently stationed at Ft. Lee, Virginia, completing Quartermaster Basic Officer Leader Course. Joe Colavito makes his home in Stamford with his wife Jenna, and his two children, Johnny and Rosie.

COTY is pleased to honor Second Lieutenant Joseph Colavito as a 2022 COTY Honored Veteran.

Steve Fischer was born in 1942 in Philadelphia, where he also attended and graduated from Drexel University in 1964 with a B.S. in Commerce. After attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned an M.S.E. in Computers and Information Science in 1966, he joined the U.S. Army and attended Engineer Officer Basic Training in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, he was assigned to the United States Military Academy at West Point where he functioned as an Operations Officer and Assistant Director of the Academic Computer Center, eventually being promoted to the rank of Captain and being awarded the Army Commendation Medal.

At West Point Steve oversaw the day to day operations of the Academy’s computer center, was responsible for procurement of a new multi-million dollar academic computer system and co-developed its multi-user time-sharing system (something like the cloud, today). He also created many other technical innovations while he taught classes in computer programming to cadets, acted in an advisory role, and was Survivor Assistance Officer, responsible for the sacred and somber task of notifying and providing assistance to next of kin when a soldier was killed in action.

After West Point, Steve returned to Philadelphia to be near his extended family, and began a full career in finance and technology, for Honeywell, MAACO Enterprises, Triumphe Financial Services, Merck Pharmaceuticals and founded the Castle Consulting Group, a software, computer and database design firm.

In 2004 at the urging of his two children and their families, Steve moved to Stamford—his daughter Jennifer in Westport, and his son Brett in Scarsdale, where he has continued Castle Consulting and has become an integral part of our community. He’s served the Stamford Senior Center as a computer consultant, a member of the Board of Directors and its Treasurer, the Economic Development Commission (Vice Chair), the Urban Redevelopment Commission (Vice Chair), the Old Town Hall Redevelopment Agency and the Senior Men’s Association (Board member and communication director), to name a few. He’s also served as Commander of the Stamford Veterans Council and the Jewish War Veterans, a volunteer for Toys for Tots, and served in various capacities with COTY. He’s also a collaborative partner with the Stamford Veterans Park Partnership and a member of the American Legion.

Steve lives in Stamford with his wife Arlene (of 57 years) and near his 6 grandkids, courtesy of Jennifer and Brett

Mary became interested in serving in the U.S. Air Force as a child while spending time at Andrews Air Force in Washington D.C. while her father fulfilled his reserve duty in the NATO research facilities as a Lt. Colonel. Following in her father’s footsteps, Mary joined the USAF through the Recruit Officer Training Corp at Manhattan College in New York, and served from July 28, 1981 until February 28, 1986.

She was first assigned as a 2nd Lieutenant to her first base, Mt. Home AFB in Idaho, where she took the post at the 366 Supply Squadron, TAC, as a Combat Supply Organization officer. Her primary responsibility was to control all repair cycle support of approximately 1000 F-111A aircraft and maintenance material control repair cycle monitor function, where she supervised 27 people over a 24 hour week operation.

Next, she was transferred to the 40th Supply Squadron (USAFE), Aviano Air Base Italy. The base supported F-16 and F-5 aircraft and defense communication requirements throughout Italy. There she was assigned to a major’s position as Wing/Base Material Support Officer. Mary also was assigned to wartime duties in the base survival recovery center where she was able to quickly learn the details of the job under the pressure of local exercises. As Lt. Col. Gary E. Whittlinger stated in her review, her ability to focus on many problems created greater effectiveness in the processing, research, and technical order maintenance programs in support of aircraft and communications customers. In addition, he stated, Mary ensured that the equipment data bank accuracy rate remained exceptionally high at 99.7 percent, which was two points above the worldwide accuracy rate. He commended her ability to generate enthusiasm and a strong degree of loyalty and cooperation toward the mission. Her caliber as an officer was considered one to model for all officers.

During her service Mary earned the medal of AF Commendation, AF Outstanding Unit Award, AF Longevity service award, small arms expert marksmanship, AF Training ribbon, and AF Overseas Long Tour Ribbon.

Having honorably completed her service, Mary continued her education at Manhattanville College where she earned a Masters in Professional Service concentrating in special education and elementary education, before going on to teaching, now at Villa Maria here in Stamford. Throughout her teaching career one of her primary goals were to instill in the youth a greater sense of loyalty and patriotism for our country.

COTY is proud to salute Mary as a 2022 Honored Veteran.

Terrance McGrath was born on August 31, 1950, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Stamford, Connecticut. He attended St. Mary’s grade school and Stamford Catholic High School, where he graduated with the class of 1968.

The following November, Terrance enlisted in the United States Navy, where he earned the rank of Third Class Petty Officer E-4 prior to his honorable discharge after four years, in November, 1972.

During his time in the Navy, Petty Officer McGrath was assigned to the USS Ogden LPD-5, a Austin-class amphibious transport dock that had been commissioned from 1965 through 2007 and was assigned to Assault Craft Unit One (ACU-1) a Pacific Ocean Maritime Prepositioning Force in the United States Navy.

The Ogden was a type of designated Landing Craft Utility (LCU), and with a capacity of 100 tons, it would transport anything the Battalion Landing Team (BLT) needed. A BLT was composed of 900 marines including trucks, jeeps, Amtrak, tanks and all supplies, ammo, equipment, etc.

During the Marine operations Petty Officer McGrath and his crew, composed of an officer and five to six enlisted men, transported from the ship to landing areas to assist the BTU with resupply as needed. Each crew making the transport was.

After his honorable discharge, Terrance was appointed to the Stamford Fire Department in June 19, 1978 where he served with distinction for 35 years.

Terrance married and settled in the Glenbrook section of Stamford with his wife Deborah, where they raised their son Daniel. Terrance and Deborah’s families go back for generations in Stamford, where they have had Fathers, Uncles and an Aunt who served in WWII and Vietnam.

COTY is proud to salute Terrance McGrath as a 2022 COTY Honored Veteran.

When asked where she’s from, Leslie often replies, “All over.” She grew up in a Navy family: Her father is a retired career Navy fighter pilot, and her mother’s father was a distinguished rear admiral. By the age of 13, Leslie had lived in six different East Coast locations. When her father retired as a Captain in 1970, the family moved to his hometown, Tucson, Ariz. After high school and a year as an exchange student in Sweden, Leslie graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in theater in 1979. It was not originally her intention to follow the family line into the Navy, as both her older sisters had done, but in 1980 she chose to postpone pursuing her acting career and was accepted to Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, R.I. She was commissioned an Ensign, USNR, in July 1980.

Her first duty station was Naval Security Group Activity Skaggs Island, in Northern California, serving first as administrative officer and then as communications security training officer, leading a team of enlisted specialists who conducted inspections and training visits at Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard commands from Monterey, Calif., to Adak, Alaska. Promoted to Lieutenant, USN, in 1983, her next assignment was as Officer-in-Charge of the Navy Alcohol Safety Action Program for the Northern California region, based at Naval Air Station Alameda. There she headed a team that conducted early intervention education for service members identified with substance abuse, as well as awareness training for supervisors. Leslie also did outreach to senior Navy commanders and civilian courts in the area to encourage the use of NASAP training for at-risk service members.

In October 1986, Leslie left the Navy and spent the next couple of decades as a professional actor, mostly in the San Francisco area in regional theatre, commercials, and voiceovers. She moved to Manhattan in 1997, and eventually her “day job” as a magazine copy editor became her third and longest career. She worked for almost 15 years for This Old House. Always an avid do-it-yourselfer, Leslie celebrated the week of her 50th birthday by volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity build in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina. Her volunteer interests were, indirectly, how she eventually landed in Stamford: For many years This Old House collaborated with Stamford-based HomeFront Inc. in its annual HomeFront Day, and Leslie was an enthusiastic participant, helping repair homes for low-income homeowners in Fairfield County alongside her TOH editorial and TV-show colleagues. In 2012 they worked on a house in Stamford, and Leslie enjoyed the area so much that by September that year she had purchased a home in the Cove neighborhood.

Today, Leslie is the copy chief for the nonprofit Consumer Reports in Yonkers. She is enjoying her first season singing with The Stamford Chorale and is looking forward to someday retiring from the day job and having more time for volunteer and artistic pursuits. She is proud to report that her nieces are a Captain in the Coast Guard and a Major in the Air Force active reserve, and both served in the Middle East. Her father, now 98, has sworn the oath of office to all of his daughters and granddaughters.

For over twenty years, James Sparrow was the Executive Director of Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Victims, Inc., the non-profit national organization that filed the original lawsuit against the chemical companies that manufactured the defoliant, Agent Orange.  The organization he helped found went on to assist tens of thousands of veterans and their families.

Mr. Sparrow was born March 3, 1947 and raised in Stamford, Connecticut.  He is a 1965 graduate of Stamford High School.  After graduation, he immediately joined the United States Marine Corps for a four-year enlistment as an 0311 rifleman.  He served with the Second Marine Division in the Caribbean and Latin America, and also with NATO Forces in Norway.  He graduated from the United States Army School of the Americas for Jungle Warfare in Panama, and shipped out for Vietnam.  Mr. Sparrow served in Vietnam from December 1966 to January 1968 with the First Marine Provisional Rifle Company and had the honor of serving in units of the 1stand 3rd Marine Divisions and the 1st Marine Air Wing. His duties included patrols and ambushes, medivacs and resupply missions.  For his military service he was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Medal, the Expert Rifle Badge, 2 Naval Unit Citations, and 2 Presidential Unit Citations.

Mr. Sparrow has been involved in veteran’s affairs most of his adult life, on a local, state and national basis.  He is Past Commander of VFW Post 10013, Stamford; Past Commander of American Legion Post 3, Stamford; Past Commander of VFW Post 6933, Darien.  On Veterans Day, 1996, he was the recipient of the prestigious Connecticut State Veterans Commendation Medal for a lifetime of work with veterans and their families.

He is now retired, but stays active in the veteran community.  He lives in Stamford with his wife and their extended family--his daughter and her husband, their two granddaughters and great grandsons.

Manny’s story began in Italy, but quickly moved to Stamford when at just six months old his mother brought him and his two sisters to join his father here. He happily remembers his very American  childhood, growing up on the West Side, playing baseball with friends at Hatch Field, football on Richmond Hill and spending time with the CYO at Sacred Heart Church.  His first “military” experience was as a Boy Scout during World War II, when he helped check neighborhood houses for lights during air raid drills.

After attending Stevens School and Cloonan Jr. High, Manny graduated from Stamford High and joined the Naval Reserves in 1949. Two years later he decided to join the Army instead, and after training at Fort Dix, he saw combat in the Korean War from 1951 to 1954. Then, right after his very fortunate safe return, Manny’s good luck really blossomed when on a trip to the dentist he met his future wife of 62 years, Rosemarie Marrucco, where she was working as a hygienist. 

Soon after, Manny went to the University of Bridgeport where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design and then a Master’s in Education, which turned out to be his true calling.  A magnificent teaching career began with Fine Arts at Turn of River, then Fine Arts and Stage Craft at Rippowam High and then Rippowam Cluster High School.  As a co-founder of B.E.S.T (Board of Education Summer Theater), Manny mentored many young students, aspiring actors and stage hands, who still keep in touch with him today. 

Manny was never one to idle. He was active in the Boy Scouts, coached Babe Ruth Baseball, worked the Board of Rec playgrounds, supported the Westhill Blue Line Club and was a volunteer for the St. Cecilia Youth Group. He was a member of the Stamford Senior Men’s Club, the Italian Center, a past Grand Knight of the Father Miller Council, Knights of Columbus, and is now a member of the Southern Fairfield County Retired Teachers Association. Manny still enjoys golf, breakfast at Dutchess with “the guys” and seeing his many friends and relatives. 

Most of all, Manny and Rosemarie love spending time with their four children Richard (Allison) Blosio, Robert (Pamela) Blosio, Randy (Lisa) Blosio and Robyn (Paul) Bova, their eleven grandchildren (one on active duty, one veteran) and one great grandchild. Manny says that he wishes the Scholarship winners “a very happy, successful college career and much success in life”. 

The famous but tragic fate of the five Sullivan brothers, who made the ultimate sacrifice together on the U.S.S. Juneau in World War II, had to be weighing on Maebelle Hunter’s mind when five of her eleven children all joined the military in the middle of the Vietnam War. Henry “Buddy” Hunter, the eldest of the five, joined the Air Force ahead of Donald, Randy, Larry and Lenny, who all volunteered for the Army Signal Corps at a time when many other young men were looking for ways to avoid the unpopular and treacherous trip to the jungles of Indochina. Close throughout their childhood on Spruce Street on  Stamford’s West Side, the Hunter brothers were not about to let a mere war come between them. 

Donald, the middle child of the five, spent one year in-country, running weapons in Lu Binh. Assigned to an area of heavy fighting, Donald was awarded the Bronze Star, though he prefers to let the history of his heroics remain within him. His Stamford childhood, on the other hand, is something he is happy to reminisce about and share. Losing their father when Donald was just seven, Maebelle Hunter faced the enormous challenge of being a single mother of eleven working long hours as  a domestic. But Donald says Spruce Street “was a neighborhood full of mamas”, so getting in trouble was not an option.  Of Maebelle, he recalls, she was tough, but that “she was the most beautiful woman in the world.”

The brothers have remained close. For years Donald hosted horseshoe matches at his home, and claims to be the champ. While that may be disputed by his brothers, there is no argument that Henry, Randy, Donald, Larry and Lenny, as members of the same bowling team for twenty five years, won the Connecticut State U.S.B.C Open Tournament in 2012!

Donald worked at the Stamford Marriott for many years until his retirement. He and his wife of 48 years, Shirley, still live in Stamford and have eight children, eleven grandchildren and ten greatgrandchildren. When asked if they are all still close, Donald says with a smile “Close? I can’t get rid of ‘em!”

Stamford COTY understands why Donald Hunter’s family likes to be around him and is happy to recognize him as a distinguished veteran.

The famous but tragic fate of the five Sullivan brothers, who made the ultimate sacrifice together on the U.S.S. Juneau in World War II, had to be weighing on Maebelle Hunter’s mind when five of her eleven children all joined the military in the middle of the Vietnam War. Henry “Buddy” Hunter, the eldest of the five, joined the Air Force ahead of Donald, Randy, Larry and Lenny, who all volunteered for the Army Signal Corps at a time when many other young men were looking for ways to avoid the unpopular and treacherous trip to the jungles of Indochina. Close throughout their childhood on Spruce Street on Stamford’s West Side, the Hunter brothers were not about to let a mere war come between them. 

Larry, the ninth of Maebelle’s eleven children, attended Stevens School, Cloonan and Rogers Junior High, before  graduating with the 100th graduating class of Stamford High School in 1965. As a kid, Larry says the five boys were very close: “We were called the little kids. I used to joke that they called us that because they didn’t know our names. We just always did things together.”  He joined the U.S. Army in 1966 and entered basic training in Fort Jackson, S.C. before deploying to Vietnam as an ammunition storage specialist. Always remaining close with his brothers, near the end of his tour he was even able to drive to Quy Nhon to visit Lenny for just two hours.  After safely serving one year in-country, Larry was transferred to Ulm,  Germany, where he continued to serve until his honorable discharge in 1969 as a Buck Sergeant. 

When, to Maebelle’s great relief, Lenny, along with his brothers, returned home safely, they have remained close. In fact Henry, Randy, Donald, Larry and Lenny played on the same bowling team for twenty five years, winning the Connecticut State U.S.B.C Open Tournament in 2012!

Larry is still in Stamford. Now a widower, he and his late wife Betty had three children and five grandchildren. He volunteers at the Bridgeport Veterans Food Pantry with his brother Lenny and is a member of the Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church, St. John’s Lodge #14 and Order of the Eastern Star, Dorcas Chapter #14.

Stamford COTY is pleased to honor Larry Hunter as a distinguished veteran. 

The famous but tragic fate of the five Sullivan brothers, who made the ultimate sacrifice together on the U.S.S. Juneau in World War II, had to be weighing on Maebelle Hunter’s mind when five of her eleven children all joined the military in the middle of the Vietnam War. Henry “Buddy” Hunter, the eldest of the five, joined the Air Force ahead of Donald, Randy, Larry and Lenny, who all volunteered for the Army Signal Corps at a time when many other young men were looking for ways to avoid the unpopular and treacherous trip to the jungles of Indochina. Close throughout their childhood on Spruce Street on Stamford’s  West Side, the Hunter brothers were not about to let a mere war come between them. 

Lenny, the second youngest of Maebelle’s children attended Stevens Elementary, Rogers Junior High and Stamford High School before joining the U.S. Army on June 23, 1967. Since he was only 17 at the time, his brother Randy had to sign him up because, had she known, he did not think his mother would have allowed it. When he shipped to Vietnam in 1968 with the 578 Signal Company, he spent most of his days stringing communications wire in the jungles by climbing poles that sometimes tapered to the width of a baseball bat, never mind that he was also then exposed to the risk of enemy fire. Not willing to be  separated for lon g, he still managed to travel to Cam Ranh Bay to see Henry (and even do some fishing!), and Larry came  to see him in Quy Nhon near the end of his tour.  

When, to Maebelle’s great relief, Lenny, along with his brothers, returned home safely, they have remained close. In fact Henry, Randy, Donald, Larry and Lenny played on the same bowling team for twenty five years, winning the Connecticut State U.S.B.C Open Tournament in 2012!

Lenny spent his career working for the U.S. Postal Service in Darien, retiring after 37 years. Still active in veterans’ affairs, he is Post Commander at the Darien VFW and volunteers at the Bridgeport Veterans’ Food Pantry. He and his wife Mary, have four children, fourteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Stamford COTY is grateful to Lenny Hunter, and his four brothers, as distinguished veterans

Stamford COTY is pleased to honor John Lund as a distinguished veteran.

John was born in Brooklyn, New York, but his family moved to Stamford in 1947 when he was just three months old.  He spent his early childhood living in downtown Stamford and attended Elm Street and Rogers Schools, before his family moved to Glenbrook in 1960.  He then attended Burdick Junior High and Stamford High, where he graduated in 1965. Always an athlete, John played Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball, Pop Warner Football, Youth Basketball and the Shoreline Softball League.  At SHS, he also lettered in varsity soccer.

After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution expanded U.S. involvement in Vietnam, and knowing he would likely be sent in harm’s way, John joined the United States Marine Corps in August, 1966.  After boot camp in Parris Island S.C., combat training in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assignment to Camp Pendleton near San Diego, he was deployed to Vietnam, where he served nineteen months in-country. There, John was assigned to Mike Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, and spent the first 2 months at a Landing Zone 8 miles South West of Da Nang. During the 1968 Tet Offensive he was moved to Phu Bai for 5 months, and then was assigned to An Hoi for 12 months.  During his deployment John was a Casualty Reporter, informing the Company Commander of those Killed or Wounded in Action, and had the painful task of preparing personal effects for shipment.  While he was with Mike Company 3/5, they were awarded two Presidential Unit Citations.  John individually earned a Meritorious Mast, a Combat Promotion to Sergeant, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, RVN Cross of Gallantry, a Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Star, Combat Action Ribbon and a Navy Achievement Medal with Combat “V”.

Returning home to Stamford, John went to Norwalk Community College for two years, and then transferred to Southern Connecticut State College.  He worked at the United States Post Office for 28 years, retiring in 2011, and the Wee Burn Country Club for 48 years, retiring in 2018.  He has been married to the love of his life Elaine (Dwyer) for almost 49 years and still lives in Glenbrook.  They have two sons--Jeffrey, a Stamford Police Officer and Jonathan, a Stamford Fireman.  Jonathan and his wife Natasha have blessed John and Elaine with two granddaughters, five year old Luna and three year old Aila.

Stamford COTY knows we are fortunate to have people like John among us. 

Bill Malloy likes to be around big families. The oldest brother of William and Agnes Malloy’s eight  children, Bill grew up on Dartley Street in Belltown, and then on nearby Revonah Avenue. As a member of the third Malloy generation in Stamford, he attended Belltown Elementary, St. John’s Elementary and St. Basil’s Prep, where he graduated in 1960. After high school Bill attended Villanova University where he joined the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). 

After graduation, Bill was assigned to the U.S.S. Independence (CV-62), a more than 1,000-foot- long Forrestal-class Aircraft Carrier deployed with a complement of over 5,000 Navy and Marines  (another really big family) to the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam between May and December of 1965.   While onboard he served as an Ensign in the Engineering Department, and he earned the Naval Unit Commendation, the National Defense Medal, and the Vietnam Service Medal. After active duty Bill returned to Stamford, married the love of his life, Evon Deveau, and joined the Naval Reserves where he was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant in 1974.

When he returned Bill also joined his Dad in the insurance business, where he has worked as a licensed insurance agent, a licensed real estate broker and a Certified Insurance Consultant. Bill now owns the William F. Malloy Insurance Agency along with his son, Matthew.

To be sure, Bill still likes to be around a lot of people. He has also served on the Stamford Board of Representatives, as Chairman of the Democratic City Committee, President of the Stamford Hibernians, Rogers School PTO President, a Cub Scout Den Leader, President of the Stamford Youth Hockey Association, President of the Stamford Insurance Board, and Director of the Professional Insurance Association of Connecticut and the Independent Insurance Agents of Connecticut. He is also now serving on the board of Connecticut Renaissance, helping people with substance abuse and mental health issues overcome their challenges.

Not to be outdone by his parents, Bill and his wife of now 52 years, Evon, raised their big family of eleven children in Shippan where they have resided for the last 45 years. Their favorite pastime is spending time with the kids and especially their twenty-two (!) grandchildren. 

Stamford COTY is happy to welcome William Malloy to our big family of distinguished veterans

Stamford COTY is happy to recognize Kimberly Morant as a distinguished veteran.

Kimberly was born in Stamford on September 14th, 1965. She attended school in Norwalk at Kendall Elementary and Parkway Christian Academy before graduating from Stamford’s Sacred Heart Academy in the class of ‘84. She attended Fisher Junior College, 1984-1985 and Norwalk Community College, 1985-1986. After NCC, Kimberly moved to Richmond, VA where she attended the Geriatric Nursing  Assistant Training Program and obtained a position at the Henrico Healthcare Center assisting elderly patients. After marrying, Kimberly moved to Twentynine Palms Marine Base, in San Bernardino County, California where she joined the United States Navy in May of 1992.

In August 1992, Seaman Morant was assigned as hazmat manager to the San Onofre ARD-30, a floating dry dock (used to submerge under ships damaged below the water line and then raise them out of the water for repair).  She successfully made sure that all Material Safety Data Sheets were accounted for and filed, thus ensuring that all inspections were performed and passed. She was also responsible for confirming that all supplies were ordered and that hazardous materials were disposed of properly. SN Morant also volunteered for Vietnam Veterans of San Diego. This organization worked with homeless veterans and their families, for substance abuse recovery, mental and emotional health counseling, and most of all, obtaining benefits and jobs.

Since 1998, Kimberly has been the Unit Coordinator for the Tully Endoscopy Center here in Stamford, where she ensures that patient’s paperwork is in order for treatment, and reports to the director of Peri-Op services to record case cancellations and to ensure proper follow-up. She is also certified in phlebotomy and EKG’s. 

Kimberly is also program assistant, at the New Canaan YMCA’s special needs program and is a trainer at the Sarner Health and Fitness Center at Tully. Not one to rest on her laurels, she is currently back at Norwalk Community College studying Exercise Science and Social/Behavioral Science where she will graduate in May, and will continue on in Recreational Therapy this fall.

COTY is glad that Stamford has people like Kimberly.