Francis X. “Frank” Balanda, 75, of Southbury, CT died suddenly Friday, March 9, 2018 at home. He was the husband of Joyce (Johnson) Balanda.
Frank was born April 4, 1942 in Waterbury, the son of the late Clarence and Alvera (Zuraitis) Balanda. He was a graduate of Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. He was also a U.S. Army Veteran.
Frank worked as a juvenile probation officer for the State of Connecticut until he retired. He also worked many years as a dispatcher for Heritage Village.
Frank was an avid reader and loved tennis and spending his winters in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Besides his wife, he leaves his two children, Kate Balanda of Southbury and Kenneth Balanda of Naugatuck, and a special cousin, Joan (Shobrinsky) Rose of Waterbury.
Monthly Archives: March 2018
Robert H. Moore ’52
Robert Hilliard Moore, 84, of East Falmouth, MA passed away on Friday, March 9, 2018 at the Falmouth Hospital. He was born in Winchester to Robert L. and Dorothy (Hilliard) Moore.
Bob was a graduate of Williston Academy and attended Boston University. He served in the United States Army and then went on to attend Employers Insurance School in Boston. He worked for Paul Peters Insurance Agency for over 40 years.
Bob was a charter member of the Elks and was on the board of directors for the Falmouth Co-operative Bank for over 20 years. He also was one of the founding fathers of Falmouth Youth Hockey, and a lover of the ocean and the Mountains, his favorite pastime was boating.
Bob leaves behind his 4 sons: Bobby and Linda Moore of Sandwich, David and Cathy Moore, Paul and Laura Moore, and Tom and Trish Moore, all of Falmouth; his 8 grandchildren: Marissa and Nicole Moore, Brandon, Jordan and Rachel Moore, Brittney, P.J. and Marianna Moore; and his siblings, Steven and Rick Moore. He also leaves his first wife, Sally Peters, and his second wife, Janet Moore and her children, Brad and Kristen Fish. He was predeceased by his sister, Sheila.
Basil A. Petricca ’50
Basil August Petricca, the former CEO of Petricca Industries, and founder of Unistress died on March 7th at the age of 86 in Pittsfield, MA.
Basil “Rick” Petricca, born October 2nd, 1931 in North Adams, MA was the son of Basilio Augusto and Rose Mancuso Petricca. He graduated from Williston Academy in 1950 and Tufts University in 1954. He later served in the U.S. Army, stationed at Ft. Belvoir, VA.
Rick started his business career as a child, raising and selling chickens and eggs to help support his family. When his father died unexpectedly in 1962 Rick stepped into a leadership role in the family business and dedicated himself to its success and growth. Rick was an entrepreneur by nature and loved to make deals. Over the years he founded or acquired over a dozen businesses ranging from pre-stress concrete to telecommunications and travel.
Rick was a communicant of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and St. Marks Church and attended mass every day. In 2007 he was honored for his years of service to the church with indoctrination into the Bishop’s Circle of Stewards. He was also involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations, more than the family can remember, but among his favorites were: The Boys and Girls Club; Berkshire Healthcare Systems; The Berkshire Museum; The Berkshire County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association; UNICO; and The Catholic Youth Center.
He will be remembered by his family and friends as a man of boundless energy and enthusiasm who always had time to hear and help with anyone’s problem. No matter how large the family grew he made every child feel special. His sense of humor helped us all accept his passing but he will always be in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.
He leaves his beloved wife and best friend of 61 years, Rosaland Bishop Petricca and five children, Perri Petricca (Michelle Thorpe-Petricca), Richard Petricca ’76 (Priscilla), Gregg Petricca ’79 (Lisa Dachinger), Tina Petricca ’82 and Cara Carnevale ’89 (Marc). His grandchildren, Adam, Grady, Leah, Charlotte, Lauren, Richard, Jr., Nicole, Curt, Jennifer, Nathan, Cole, Ryder, Nicholas and Tyler. His great grandchildren, Makayla, Alanna, Roman, Milania, Victoria, Harrison, and Elle. He is survived by his brother Robert Petricca (Lyn). Rick was predeceased by his brother Peter, sister Virginia and granddaughters Talia and Alora Grace.
Joseph W. Marco ’72
Joseph William Marco, 63, of Fairplay, CO, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 2, 2018 in Breckenridge. Born Dec. 25, 1954 in Pittsfield, MA, he was the son of the late William E. and Verne E. Marco. Joe was a graduate of Berkshire Country Day School and Williston Academy and attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Bucknell University. Joe’s love of skiing drew him to Colorado where he worked as a ski instructor and guide as well as a skilled carpenter, owning J. Marco Construction of Fairplay. Joe met and married his wife of 39 years Kari (Bjornstadt) in Breckenridge and together they enjoyed skiing and many of the things Colorado has to offer. Joe is survived by his wife Kari, daughter Hilary and son-in- law Dave Hassan and granddaughter Clara, of Lafayette, CO, sister Joan and brother-in- law Bob Little of Pittsfield, MA, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws along with friends and clients from all over the world. Joe was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Leslie.