Officers (Executive Council)
President
IRA MORRISON – Bristol
OLLI President Ira Morrison is a freelance writer who joined OLLI in 2018. After taking several classes, he helped found OLLI’s fundraising team, FIT (Fundraising Innovation Team) and joined the OLLI Leadership Council as co-chair of the Marketing and Community Outreach Committee. Both teams have played an integral role in raising community awareness about OLLI, and in helping the organization reach its fundraising goals over the past three years, which is critical for sustaining momentum and growth.
Ira was a corporate writer for many years, working for Fortune 500 companies including Otis Elevator Company and Aetna Health Plans, specializing in speech writing, media relations and employee communication. He also was a communication manager for HealthNet, and then served as communication team leader for Midstate Medical Center, before starting his freelance writing business in 2006. He currently supports a variety of clients in various industries including public and private universities and healthcare.
Ira is a father, cat lover and outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, travel, music, photography, cooking and gardening.
Vice-President
CHARLES (CHUCK) LASKY – Middlebury
Chuck Lasky is a retired professor of computer technology at Naugatuck Valley Community College. He received a BA in Psychology from St. Bonaventure University and a MS in administration from George Washington University. Prior to his career in academia, Charles spent more than 30 years in private industry implementing and supporting computer systems in the United States and Europe.
As a current member of the Leadership Council, he serves on the Nominating Committee and is also the Chair of the Technology Team, helping guide both presenters and members learn how to use Zoom technology. A resident of Middlebury, he and his wife Chayne are the proud parents of two, and grandparents of four. One of Chuck’s hobbies is fine art. He has worked in both painting and clay, but his first love is metal sculpture. One of his pieces was in the 2019 Mattatuck Museum Mix Master Show.
Secretary
FRED KRUG – Watertown
Fred was raised in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia College and his law degree from Columbia Law School in New York City. He married Patricia Zimmerman of Drexel Hill, Pa. on September 16, 1967, one week before the couple began Peace Corps training. In1968 and 1969 they served in the United States Peace Corps in Uganda.
Upon returning to the United States, they moved to Waterbury, Connecticut. In 1979 Fred and Attorney Richard Danen founded the law firm of Matzkin, Krug and Danen. Fred retired in June of 2013 after more than forty years of practice.
Fred is a long-time member of the Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut, a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He served as chairman of the Connecticut chapter from 1989 to 1995. Fred believes that freedom of speech, even for unpopular viewpoints, is essential to preserving the U. S. Constitution.
Fred and Pat have travelled extensively since Fred’s retirement. They are both members of the Waterbury Chorale. Fred is an avid biker and has participated many times in weeklong bicycle tours of the Rocky Mountains. In 2022 Fred self- published a collection of short stories which he wrote entitled “Unexpected Events”.
An enthusiastic OLLI member, Fred is secretary of the Leadership Council.
Immediate Past-President
VICKIE NARDELLO – Prospect
Committee Chairs (Leadership Council)
Marketing and Community Outreach Committee Chair
DIANE STONE – Milford
Member Services Committee Chair
Diane was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She moved to Waterbury, CT in early 1992. Now 32 years later, Diane laughs when she thinks about the move to CT because “I was only planning on staying 2-3 years”.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilson College, in Chambersburg, PA, with a major in Biology and minor in Chemistry. After a series of career opportunities in the medical laboratory field, she transitioned into Human Resources first as a recruiter, and later into HR Management at Saint Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, earning two professional certifications in Human Resources Management. Diane worked at Saint Mary’s for 14.5 years before retiring in 2019.
Diane set several immediate goals for herself when she retired – to tap into her artistic side, take classes on subjects other than those she encountered in healthcare, find volunteer work, expand her social network, and travel. She is working on her artistic side taking classes in colored pencil drawing and more recently in oil painting. Travel got off to a slow start due to the Covid pandemic.
Diane joined OLLI at UConn in fall 2019 and the rest of her goals fell into place very quickly! She has been on the Tech Team from its inception during ‘the Covid shutdown’ enabling us to pivot to offering classes by Zoom, is an active member of the Marketing & Community Outreach Committee, has been on the Leadership Council as a Member-At-Large since 2022, and most recently volunteered to chair the Member Services Committee. Diane enjoys her involvement with OLLI and has made many new friends that she would have never met has she not joined the program!
Nominating Committee Chair
VICKIE NARDELLO – Prospect (see “Immediate Past-President” for information about Vickie).
Program Development Committee Co-Chairs
JULIE FERNANDEZ – Naugatuck
Originally a resident of Waterbury, Julie moved to Naugatuck over fifty years ago, buying a first house there.
Julie’s life has had a lot of twists and turns having been in retail, advertising sales and retail management before finding her true vocation. She began a teaching career unconventionally as she pursued her college degree at the age of 40. Still raising her third and youngest child, Julie worked at this endeavor two classes at a time in the evenings for eight years, earning both an Associate in Liberal Arts and a BS in History and the Social Sciences from SCSU with a teaching certification. She then earned a second certification in English. Julie taught Social Studies at Nonnewaug for one year and then enjoyed seventeen years teaching both Social Studies and English to high school students in the State Technical School System.
Finally able to find time for lots of reading and traveling throughout The U.S. and Europe, Julie has been enjoying these last years gardening, seeing friends, doing puzzles, etc. A fun activity for her has been co-hosting a live radio show, “The Music Museum,” on WATR Sunday nights for the past seventeen years. If you love the “oldies,” then tune in; Jay Crawford is a great DJ. Being active in The Exchange Club of Naugatuck keeps her busy with community service activities, especially in regard to the prevention of child abuse.
After retiring in 2013, Julie was fortunate enough to discover OLLI in Waterbury and took her first courses there in 2014. She has been a member and co-chair of the Cafe Committee for several years and involved with the “Greening of Waterbury” project for the last six years. She’s made so many new friends and learned so much at OLLI. Julie feels that it has been a wonderful experience for her, and plans to continue enjoying the program for years to come.
ROSALIE GRIFFIN – Waterbury
Rosalie has been an OLLI member since 2007 and has presented several math classes for our membership over the years.
She earned a B.A.in Mathematics from Albertus Magnus College, New Haven, Conn., an M.A.L.S. (Mathematics) from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., and an M.A. in Counseling from St. Joseph College (now University) in West Hartford, Conn.
Rosalie has spent over forty years in the education field. She taught math at Crosby High School in Waterbury for 35 years. As Math Dept. Chair she implemented the National Science Foundation’s innovative curriculum, Math Connections. Rosalie gave presentations on Math Connections at several national math conferences and trained teachers from several states. In addition, she served as an adjunct instructor at Waterbury State Technical College and Naugatuck Valley Community College for a total of nineteen years.
Rosalie has been a volunteer for the Thresholds program, funded by the CT Dept. of Corrections, teaching decision-making skills to inmates. In her nearly forty years as a volunteer for Thresholds she taught both one-on-one and group sessions for inmates at the Cheshire Correctional Centers.
She and her husband Mike reside in Waterbury and enjoy spending time with their five children and six grandchildren.
DONNA OBAROWSKI – Woodbury
MARION VARANELLI – Waterbury
Publications Committee Co-Chairs
ROBERT GRADY – Watertown
Bob Grady was born in Waterbury, attended local schools and graduated from Sacred Heart High School, where he was co-captain of the Championship swimming team. He then spent four years in the U.S. Navy as an aviation electronic technician.
Bob holds a BA in English and Psychology from UConn, a Master’s in Education from Central Connecticut State University, and a Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies in Counseling from Fairfield University. He also attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He also received a Master Certification in Neuro-Linguistic Programming from Eastern Institute in Princeton, New Jersey.
Bob taught in Buck’s Hill School in Waterbury for three years, was part of an innovative teaching program at the sixth grade level in Watertown public schools, and then spent thirty- five years teaching at Watertown High School.
He has been a member of curriculum committees and evaluation teams in education and has also been active in local politics, as well as participating in community projects. He has held offices in the local teachers’ associations and was President of the Watertown Education Association for the last seven years of his teaching career.
Since retirement, Bob has journeyed to forty-seven of the contiguous states, Washington being the only exception. He has also traveled extensively throughout South East Asia and visits Singapore where his daughter teaches at Nanyang University.
MARY FITZPATRICK-PEITLER – Meriden
Mary has been a member of OLLI for eleven years and is presently Chair of the Publications Committee. Last year she chaired the Nominating Committee and is presently a member of that. Previously she was secretary of the Council for five years. She was a member of the Editorial Committee of Voices and Visions, OLLI’s literary magazine, and has had her poetry and prose published there. She also wrote a column for the weekly newsletter about artistic events in Connecticut entitled OLLI artBeat. In 2018 she was thrilled to represent OLLI at the national convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2021 Mary chaired the committee to celebrate UConn OLLI’s 15th Anniversary.
Mary is a New York City native, a graduate of St. John’s University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a master’s in New Testament Theology. After moving to New Milford in 1975 she raised her family before returning to work as the Administrative Assistant to the First Selectman of that town. Subsequently she worked for twenty-five years at New Milford Visiting Nurse and Hospice where she held many positions. She retired in 2015 and is thrilled to be retired!
Mary lives in a three-generation household and is fortunate to spend a lot of time with her two grandsons. She also is the proud grandmother of two beautiful granddaughters. Her hobbies include reading, genealogy, singing in her car, visiting museums and seeing plays, and meeting friends old and new for lunch. She also likes to laugh a lot and tries to find humor in almost all situations. Mary has taken five trips to her favorite place in the world, Ireland, and has visited Scotland. She absolutely LOVES being a member of OLLI!
Special Interest Groups Committee Chair
NANCY VIA – Prospect
Nancy Via is retired from Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven, CT) where she has been a member of the teaching faculty for 38 years. She has a B.S. Degree, a Masters in Library Science Degree and a Sixth Year Diploma in Administration and Supervision. Her position at Southern was as a University Librarian in the Reference Department/Bibliographic Instruction Unit. During the course of her tenure at Southern, she held numerous organizational positions, including Spokesperson for the Library Faculty Department and Chairperson of the University Sabbatical Leave Committee.
She has served as President of the Friends of the Prospect Public Library and most recently was elected President of the Prospect Historical Society. She serves on the Prospect Library Board of Directors. During the past two years, she has been an active member of the OLLI Leadership Council where she has served as Chairperson of the Guidelines Committee, Chairperson of the Nominating Committee and Co-chairperson of the Membership Committee. Nancy is enthusiastic about OLLI and UConn and is particularly interested in partnership opportunities it affords.
Since retirement, Nancy has participated in an Elderhostel program in Chicago as well as travel in the United States. Although she is very active in OLLI and the Prospect community, she continues to enjoy special times with her son Gregory, and twin grandsons, Elliott and Ross.
Technology Committee Chair
ELIA BIANCARDI – Sandy Hook
Members-At-Large
LYNN CURLESS – Watertown
GENEVIEVE DELKESCAMP – Waterbury
Gen spent her formative and educational years living in Whitestone, NY, before moving with her family to Hope, RI, where she went on to graduate from Katherine Gibbs school.
In the early 50’s, she married Kenneth and resettled in Waterbury, where their three sons were born. Raising a family was foremost at the time, so her working career began later on with local attorneys, followed by a short stint in industry. The next 25 years were spent in the corporate office and human resources department at a local bank.
After retirement, Gen returned to school and earned a degree in business and management. Now, she focuses on continuing education, volunteerism and traveling.
BARBARA GAVIN – Southington
A devoted mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Barbara graduated with a BS in Accounting and completed several master’s level courses in International Finance and Economics. After a successful career in Information Technology, Barbara happily retired to Connecticut. She began taking art and photography classes at the Osher Life Long Learning of UConn where she was able to discover her artistic side. To create her works of art, Barbara taps into her lifelong love of nature. Barbara has displayed several pieces at SoCCA for the Southington Pride art show and through the Cheshire Art League where her art received second place. A second piece received honorable mention. It was with extraordinary pride that Barbara was chosen as June 2021 artist of the month at the Southington Public Library where she is a frequent patron. Barbara has exhibited her work at galleries in Torrington, Middletown, 10Seldon Gallery, Gallery 53, and various local businesses.
MICHAEL GRIFFIN – Waterbury
ELAINE LAU – Cheshire
Elaine Lau joined OLLI in 2021 looking for new opportunities after retiring from her job of 23 years as a clinical social worker in the Detox Unit of the Addiction Services Division at Connecticut Valley Hospital. She was born in Washington D.C., attended high school at Penn Hall in Chambersburg, PA, followed by obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, OH, where she majored in English with minors in German and Journalism. She worked at Atlantic Monthly in Boston, the National Education Association in Washington, D.C., and the Laboratory on Early Childhood Education in Champaign-Urbana IL. She subsequently obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching at Teacher’s College at Columbia University in New York City. The number of job changes in her early 20’s were the result of falling in love with her now husband of 57 years and following him while he completed his veterinary degree, his internship and residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York, and his subsequent location to Cheshire, CT, where he was the veterinary orthopedic surgeon at Cheshire Veterinary Hospital.
Elaine and her husband have lived in Cheshire, CT, since 1970. While she raised her children, she worked as a substitute teacher in the junior and senior high schools, tutored inmates at the Connecticut Correctional Institution in Cheshire who wanted to get their high school equivalency diploma, was active in the League of Women Voters, Cheshire’s Youth Services Committee, the Friends of the Cheshire Public Library, and in her church as a youth group leader and Sunday school teacher. She was also trained through the Methodist Church to lead junior and senior high human sexuality seminars. As her children got older, she began thinking about going back into the work force full time and started a bookkeeping business called Accountability for small business owners, and was then hired by Professor Edward Tufte when he started publishing his own books through his company Graphics Press. She was in her 50’s when she decided to change careers and obtained her Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. She enjoys dance, writing, her faith community, her two book clubs, travel, and believes in the joy and possibilities of continued learning.
MILA LIMSON – Middlebury
Mila’s father was a career Navy man so she had the opportunity to live in various parts of the country, however, she lived in the Wolcott area since 1986 until she moved to Middlebury with her husband Joseph Shea. She retired from the Town of West Hartford where she was the Town Planner.
Mila earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Haven. She also attended the University of Colorado, Graduate School of Urban and Regional Planning. Since her retirement, Mila now dedicates her time and skills to a variety of civic and cultural organizations. She is a former member of the Board of Directors for the Literacy Volunteers of Greater Waterbury and also an ESL tutor. She has served on the Pathways Committee at the Connecticut Community Foundation and has been a volunteer with Foodshare, Inc , as well as Friends of the Office of State Archaeology. Mila has been an OLLI member since 2013 and has served as Vice President and President of the Leadership Council. She enjoys spending time with her three granddaughters as well as traveling and hiking with her husband.
RAY LYNCH – Waterbury
Liaison for the OLLI Garden
JOANNE SMARDIN – Cheshire
John & Joyce DeCesare Renaissance Fund
JOYCE DeCESARE – Waterbury
Joyce is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Board Certified PTSD Counselor and achieved Diplomat and Fellow status from the American Psychotherapy Association. She is in private practice in Middlebury, Connecticut. She received her BA Degree in Education from Anna Maria College in Paxton Massachusetts, MS Degree in Counseling from the University of Bridgeport, 6th year Degree in Advanced Study in Counseling and State Certification in Administration and Supervision from Southern Connecticut State University.
Prior to opening her office in 2000, she retired from the Waterbury Board of Education holding the position of Department Chairwoman of the Crosby High School Guidance Department. Joyce also taught in the Waterbury Public School System and worked as a Resource Teacher for Project Concern in Litchfield, Connecticut.
As a native of Waterbury and a Crosby High School Graduate, Joyce has served on many Boards and Committees throughout the region. She is presently a member of the Palace Theater Board, Waterbury Greenway Advisory Committee and the Holy Cross High School “John DeCesare Make a Difference Dinner Committee.”
She has been the recipient of many awards including, the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Waterbury Distinguished Service Award, the Reverend John P. Blanchfield Community Service Award, United Way Community Service Award, Waterbury Neighborhood Council Community Service Award and the Waterbury Youth Service” Shining Star Award” and the Waterbury Beautification Award in memory of John A. DeCesare.
Joyce was named to the National Distinguished Service Registry sponsored by the American Association for Counseling and Development, listed in Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who among American Teachers. She was also the recipient of the University of Connecticut Alumni Award in Teaching/ Counseling and the Connecticut Collegiate Awareness and Preparation Program (CONNCAP) Community Award.
Joyce was married to the late John A. DeCesare, one of the founding members of OLLI. His goal and vision were to not only to make the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University recognized throughout the region and country but to also be the recipient of the one million dollar grant (the latter has been accomplished). His passion was to make OLLI a household topic as it was in our home. Because of his love for the program, a fund at the University of Connecticut Foundation in his memory has been developed for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
UConn Faculty Liaison
LAURA DONORFIO, Ph.D – Watertown
Laura Donorfio was born in Waterbury and raised in Watertown, CT. She received an A.S. from Mattatuck Community College in business and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in Family Studies and Aging. Before beginning her career at UConn in 2004, she worked for six years for The Hartford Financial Services Group and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) as a Qualitative Research Director and Corporate Gerontology Liaison. Now an Associate Professor in the School of Family Studies, Laura’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of innovative teaching and pedagogical approaches, gerontological education, intergenerational and lifelong learning, and later life dependency issues.
Laura most recently was named a UConn CETL Teaching Fellow (2018) and was chosen for the CLAS Excellence in Teaching Award (Behavioral & Life Sciences, 2018). She also received the “Distinguished Teacher Award” (2009), an international teaching award from the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education – recognizing individuals for an outstanding gerontological teaching record accompanied with innovated pedagogy. Laura has been instrumental in developing a solid intergenerational service learning program at UConn’s Waterbury Campus with OLLI. She is excited because she recently turned 50 and can become an OLLI member and take classes!