June 2019

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Bianca M. Genovese, 91 of Middletown, wife of the late James V. Genovese died on Saturday at Middlesex Hospital. Born on December 12, 1927 in Melilli, Italy, daughter of the late Carmelo and Salvatrice (Lastrina) Aresco. She had been a resident of Middletown most of her life, and a member of St. Sebastian Church. Her passion in life was making wonderful food, and made all who surrounded her table, her family. Bianca is survived by her loving family; a daughter and son-in-law Maria and Angelo Vasi of Portland. Three brothers and sisters-in-law Joseph and Rose Aresco, Louis and Nella Aresco, Anthony and Mary Aresco, all of Middletown. Her grandson and "the joy of her heart" Marco Vasi of Middletown. A sister-in-law Adele Genovese of Middletown. Also several nieces and nephews. Predeceased by a brother John Aresco, a sister Concetta Gennaro, Lucia Mendola, Rosina Ponzio.
The funeral will be held on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. from the Coughlin - Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown followed by a mass of Christian burial in St. Sebastian Church at 12:30 p.m. Burial will be in the family plot in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield. Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. We would like to thank the nurses and staff of Portland Care and Rehab for their compassionate care. 

Kristen L Ntoukiantzis, 37, of Candlewood Hill Road, Higganum, beloved daughter of Michael and Kathleen L  (Gendron) Ntoukiantzis passed away suddenly on Monday, May 6, 2019. She was born April 23, 1982 in Meriden, CT. Kristen attended Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford and later worked  in auto sales as an Internet Sales Manager. She loved to travel, her favorite trip was taking Ty to Disney and Siesta Key. She traveled to Xanthi Greece and attended Woodstock 99 in Rome, NY.  Kristen was a kind hearted loving daughter with a great sense of humor who would do anything for her friends and family.

She is survived by her son Tyler J Parker, sister Michelle (Ntoukiantzis) and brother in law Robert Zaler of Meriden; brother Christopher Ntoukiantzis and sister in law Heather (Boucher) of Higganum; grandmother Seima Ntoukiantzis of Xanthi, Greece and grandmother Florence Gendron of Wallingford; aunt Debra (Gendron) and uncle Gary Hubley of Wallingford, uncle Brian Gendron of Springfield, MA, aunt Ramona (Rousseau) and uncle Kenneth Robidoux of Wethersfield, aunt Rana (Ntoukiantzis) of Xanthi Greece and uncle Yalcin Simsek of Istanbul Turkey, aunt Sonia (Ntoukiantzis) of Germany, uncle Saki Ntoukiantzis of Xanthi, Greece; cousins Rachel and Rebecca Hubley, Emily Steinmiller, Evan Piasecki and several cousins in Greece, Turkey and Germany. Also nieces and nephews Xavier, Breanna, Zachary Zaler and Wyatt Ntoukiantzis

She was predeceased by her maternal grandparents Richard Gendron, S. Diane (Bailey) Gendron Rousseau, Paul Rousseau, paternal grandfather H. Christopher Ntoukiantzis of Xanthi, Greece.

Friends may call at the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown on Saturday, May 11th from 5 to 7 p.m. Services will begin at 6:30 p.m. Burial will be private.

 Wayne K. Francis. 58, of Middletown, passed away on Friday (May 17). Son of Theresa Francis and the late Howard Francis. He was employed at Dupli Envelope & Graphics Corporation in Newington. He is survived by two sons Wayne Francis Jr. of Vernon, Joseph Francis of Newington; three brothers Howard Francis of East Haddam, Paul Francis of Suffield, Matthew Francis and his wife Sheryl of Middletown; one sister Debra Fugedi and her husband Louis and two grandchildren. Calling Hours will be held on Wednesday (May 29) from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Coughlin - Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown. Funeral services and burial will be private. 

 Marguerite Sullivan Drexler 92, of Higganum, wife of the late Joseph Drexler passed away Friday, May 24, 2019 after a brief illness.  She was born in Old Saybrook CT to William Sullivan and Elizabeth (Page) Sullivan. In 1949, she married Joseph Drexler and shortly after moved to Higganum to raise her family.  Marguerite retired in 1989 from the Sate of CT having worked as a paralegal in the Attorney General’s Office and the State Labor Department. After retirement she volunteered at Haddam Elementary School.  She enjoyed reading and was an avid knitter producing beautiful Irish knit garments. She and her husband of 58 years enjoyed any opportunity to display their dance skills. She was a communicant at St. Peter Church.She is survived by her children Catherine Chance (Robert) of Wethersfield, Joanne Beekley (Paul) of Walling Tennessee, and Joseph Drexler (Mary) of Higganum. She is also survived by her 6 grandchildren, Moira and Geoffrey Chance, Patrick Beekley and Joseph, James and Christopher Drexler. Coming from a large Irish family, she was predeceased by her sisters Pauline Warner, Bernice Sullivan, Julia Sparaco, Mary Metz, Katherine Sullivan, Lorraine Sullivan, Lillian Bump and brothers Russell Sullivan, Bernard Sullivan, John Sullivan and William Sullivan. She is survived by her brother Burton Sullivan of West VA. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and loved her extended family.  She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother who cherished her time with family.A mass of Christian burial will be held on Wednesday (May 29th) at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Church, Higganum.  Burial will be in the State Veterans Cemetery, Middletown.  Friends may call at the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St, Middletown, on Tuesday (May 28th) from 5-7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Peter Church, P.O. Box 707, St. Peter Lane, Higganum, CT 06441 or Residential Management Services, 808 Four Rod Rd, P.O. Box 7333, Kensington, CT 06037 or a charity of your choice.

Francis " Bud " Pinto passed away on Sunday ( May 12 ). He was born April 23, 1931 in Hartford, Ct. Bud was an auto mechanic and owner/operator of Bud's Auto Sales in Middletown. Throughout his life he had a passion for auto mechanics and loved the challenge of figuring out how to fix the problem. He was a racing enthusiast as well, having raced at Connecticut Dragway and Stafford Motor Speedway. He defined the term " independence " and will be missed by all who witnessed his high automotive intellect, his work ethic and the attitude that if you were not willing to go that extra " quarter mile " to get it done right, then it wasn't worth doing. Funeral services and burial were private. The Coughlin - Lastrina Funeral Home 491 High St. Middletown is in charge of arrangements. 

Yvonne Yvette Paradis, 87, of Middletown, Glastonbury, and recently The Villages, FL, passed away peacefully on the 27th of May 2019 at Middlesex Hospital with her family at her side.Born January 19, 1932 in South Attleboro, MA, daughter of Olive and Zepherin Marchand, she was predeceased by four siblings and leaves behind one sister Matilda 'Tillie' Charpentier of North Haverhill, NH.After meeting her former husband (John) they moved from South Attleboro to Durham CT and then to Middletown where they raised their family. She was employed by Grants in Middletown then worked for Aetna until retirement when she moved to Florida where she has resided for the last 20 years.Yvonne had a huge passion for dogs, especially 'Princess' her Papillon. She had to stop and pet every dog she passed as she walked down the street. There are a lot of little doggies in The Villages, FL that will miss her. Yvonne also leaves behind her six children: Raymond Paradis of Fairfax VT, Debra Paradis of Middletown, Robert Paradis and wife Fern of Middletown, William Paradis and wife Catherine of Old Saybrook CT, Norman Paradis and wife Marie of Portland CT and Denise Garrin and husband Connie of Demorest GA. Yvonne also leaves behind grandchildren: Michael Paradis and wife Bryanna of Clinton CT, Nicholas Paradis of Old Saybrook CT, Katelynn Dotson and husband Tod of Havelock NC, Brendan DeRiso of Willimantic CT, Valarie Reinig and husband Jacob of Dallas, TX and James Garrin of Demorest, GA. Yvonne was also blessed with 4 great grandchildren Meredith and Henry Dotson, Samantha Garrin and Aiden DeRisoA memorial mass will be held on Saturday, June 22nd at 11 a.m. in St. Pius X Church, Middletown. Burial will be private. There are no calling hours. The Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Connecticut Humane Society, Newington, CT. 

Sebastiano A. Airo, 77, of Middletown, beloved husband for 51 years of Rosanna (Liistro) Airo, passed away Wednesday at the Middlesex Hospital. Born on January 15th, 1942 in Melilli, Sicily, son of the late Angelo and Angelina (Magnano) Airo. He had been a resident of Middletown for 65 years and a veteran of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was the owner of A&D Barber Shop for over 50 years.

Besides his wife he is survived by his loving family: three sons: Angelo A. and wife Tina Airo of Southington, Salvatore S. Airo of Middletown, Riccardo R. and wife Jacqueline Airo of Middletown. A brother and sister in law Joseph F. and Josephine Airo of Middletown. A brother in law and wife Luigi and Debra Liistro of Middletown, two sisters in law and husbands, Enza and Salvatore Italia of Middletown and Loradona and Daniel Marina of Italy. Six grandchildren: Rosanna, Sebastian, Avianna, Angelo, Lexie, and Anthony. Also several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by a sister Titina Lanza. 

The funeral will be held on Wednesday, April 17th at 9am from the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Sebastian Church at 10am.  Burial will be in the family plot in St.Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield.  Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday evening from 5 to 7 pm.

Antoinette "Toni" Salafia, 94, wife of the late Salvatore James Salafia passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at Portland Care and Rehabilitation Center. She was born and raised in Middletown, CT, on September 18, 1924, daughter of the late Rocco and Rose (Maranello) Natalie and had lived in Middletown all her life.
She was predeceased by her husband Salvatore and seven sisters: Augusta Natalie of Portland, Elizabeth DeForest of Middletown, Beatrice Nasiatka of Stonington, Ursula Flynn of Middletown, Rose Acquarulo of Middletown, Anita Janke of Portland, Sylvia Morariu of Portland, and a brother, Rocco Natalie Jr., of Cromwell.
She is survived by her two sons, John J. Salafia, and Phill Salafia, and her grandson, John L. Salafia, all from Middletown. She is also survived by her brother-in-law, John Morariu and many nieces and nephews.
She had been employed at the former Goodyear Rubber Company and The Russell Company before retiring and as an assistant sales clerk for 25 years at the former Sears on Main Street. She had also volunteered at Middlesex Memorial Hospital for over 15 years, spending much of her time on "North Four". She was a member of the St. John's Roman Catholic Church.
Toni enjoyed line-dancing and her daily morning trips with friends for coffee, donuts and chit-chat, which she would never miss. She was always ready to hand out candy to the neighborhood children and had a kind word and a smile for everyone she would meet. "Toni" will now be reunited with her loving husband, Salvatore, beloved feline, Meatball, her guardian watchdog, Lady and, most of all, her cherished Chihuahua sidekick, Taco, with whom she was inseparable.
The family wishes to commend the doctors, nurses and staff of Middlesex Hospital, Hartford Hospital and especially The Portland Care and Rehabilitation Center staff, nurses and Dr. Raider for all of their kindness to "Toni", as she was known, and to let them know that she loved each of them as if they were her own family. The level of love and compassion shown to her meant so much.
Per her wishes, services will be private. The Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High Street, Middletown is in charge of arrangements. 

It is with great sadness that the family of Ruth F. Morin announce her passing on April 12, 2019. Ruth was born on September 5th in Middletown, CT, right before the Hurricane of 1938. Her parents were the late Grace Madeline Lapierre and Charles Trowbridge, including her beloved stepfather William Lapierre. She grew up on a farm in the beautiful countryside of Maromas with eight brothers and sisters: the late Earl, Edward and William Hills, Evelyn Marchant, Dorothy Culver, Violet Jackson, Charles Trowbridge and is survived by her sister Bette Dow.
Her childhood was filled with stories including one when she fell down a well as a small child, and was rescued by a chain of brothers.
With Ruth's passing, she is now with the love of her life, Duane Fresia, who died last year. They enjoyed traveling to Nova Scotia to visit his family, playing cribbage, and going to their favorite club, The Swede Hall in Deep River.
Ruth dearly loved her children, Robert Rosenberg (Jennifer), Rosemarie Cole (William) and Sheri Morin (Patrick Brinkley). She loved to brag and show pictures of her nine grandchildren, Crystal Sonn (Michael), Christian Campos, Lukas Rosenberg, Nicholas and Allison Cirillo, Samuel, Natalie and Benjamin Rosenberg and Noah Brinkley.
Her great-grandchildren, Madeline and Carly Sonn, Sara Cirillo and Ayden Coleman brought her much joy. Ruth also loved her many nieces and nephews very much.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, April 22nd at 11 a.m. in the Coughlin Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown. Burial will be in the family plot in Pine Grove Cemetery, Middletown. Friends may call at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. 

Robert " Bob " Connelly, 83 husband of Jean (Ross) Connelly passed away on Tuesday, (April 23). Born on January 12, 1936, Bob was a Middletown native postal carrier who for years delivered mail at Christmas dressed as Santa Claus, and was known and beloved for his booming laugh, love of his massive Irish Catholic family and devout faith. Graveside Services will be held on Saturday (April 27) at 9 am in the State Veterans Cemetery Middletown with full Military Honors. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday (April 27) at 11:30 am in St. Pius X Church, Middletown. Friends may call at the Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High St., Middletown on Friday (April 26) from 5 to 7 pm. 

Sandra Ann Leclerc (Simko), 57, passed peacefully on April 22nd after a courageous battle with cancer. Sandra was born on March 3, 1962. She spent her younger years in East Hartford before moving to Middletown for the last 25 years. She is predeceased by her parents Edward R Simko and Susan Claire Simko (Hickey) of East Hartford. She leaves behind the love of her life Laurence (Larry) White and his loving and wonderful parents Ruth and Jerry White of Madison. Larry took amazing care of Sandra during her illness and beyond. She also leaves her daughter Alisha Simko and her fiancé, James Carraway of Middletown, her two sons, Pierre and Sean from New Brunswick, Canada, her beloved granddaughters, Tatyana and Journee, grandson Jory, her sisters Susan Caminito and husband Sal of Middletown and Shari Christiana and husband James of Windsor, brothers, Edward Simko of Hollywood, Florida, Michael Simko and Donna Laraba of Hartford, and James Simko and his wife Debbie of Texas, her kitty Oreo, as well as many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and her aunts and uncles.Sandra was an avid Red Sox fan. She enjoyed shopping for her home, loved the beach, decorating and gardening. She was very creative, always making her home a beautiful place with peacock themes, shabby chic, glam, and her love of pink roses. She inspired many by sharing her cancer journey and received so much strength through the outpouring of prayers and kindness shown by others. She appreciated all of you. Funeral services and burial will be private. Burial will be in Indian Hill Cemetery, Middletown. Coughlin-Lastrina Funeral Home, 491 High Street, Middletown will be in charge of arrangements. Donations in Sandra's name may be made to the American Cancer Society," target="_blank">https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ad?iu=/423686928/prod/obit-aff/obit-premium/clio-inline-1&t=clio%3DACS%26cobrand%3Dhartfordcourant%26linkurl%3Dhttps%3A//donate.cancer.org/index.aspx%3Fcampaign%3Dlegacy2%26giftFirstName%3DSandra%26giftLastName%3DLeclerc%26giftType%3Dmem%26fn%3DSandra%26ln%3DLeclerc&sz=1x1&c=1768707364"/>, PO Box 188, North Haven, CT 06473.