Mario A. Alborghetti

On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Mario Arthur Alborghetti, 91, joined his high school sweetheart and beloved wife Dolores in peaceful and eternal rest. A lifelong resident of Connecticut, Mario is also predeceased by his parents Anna and Arthur Alborghetti and his older sister, Dorothy. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Marci Alborghetti and Charlie Duffy and Lori and Robert Polito. Surrounded by his loving family, Mario departed Earth to be reunited with Dolores, the love of his life, married for over 65 years. Marci and Lori are deeply grateful for Peggy Gavua, a superb Caregiver from Masonicare, who tended to a myriad of needs over a two year period. The family extends their warm and loving appreciation to Annette Polito for her constant prayers and incredible hospitality and to Paul Loomis, a faithful friend who was present every time Mario needed him. The family wishes to thank Masonicare Hospice for their genuine end of life care.

Drafted into the Army in 1957, Mario took great pride in his active-duty service. He rarely went anywhere without his “veteran” baseball hat, a quiet but constant reminder of a chapter of his life that he deeply valued. His last duty station was with the field artillery at Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington State. When Mario was offered an early release so he could return home to care for his father, he didn’t hesitate in his response: “When my term of enlistment has expired, I’ll go home.” Duty and commitment meant something to him and he chose to serve every day he promised. When Mario first arrived at his duty station, his first sergeant exclaimed: “You brought your wife?” This is a story he would smile about for years. Always loyal and devoted to his unit, he was awarded the Good Conduct Medal-an honor that reflected the kind of man he was: steady, honorable and true to his word.

Mario was a career-long employee of R.R. Donnelley’s in Old Saybrook and continued to meet with his Donnelley buddies until just a few years ago. R.R. Donnelley was the printing capital of the northeast, and Mario boasted of the enormous variety of magazines printed in the Donnelley plant. One of his most incredible stories of his early career was the massive printing of the LIFE magazine when President Kennedy was assassinated in November of 1963. R.R. Donnelley went into overdrive capturing that event for the nation, and Mario was embedded in this printing process.

Mario was a devoted husband, father, and family man and a meticulous and committed caregiver of his home and yard. Just about everyone in town had at some point seen him mowing the lawn, raking leaves, planting a garden, painting the house, or trimming the hedges. He loved to feed the birds and chase away squirrels who tried to eat the bird food. He also loved to walk his daily two mile route holding hands with Dolores. He was endlessly proud of his daughters, Marci with her published books and free-lance writing and Lori with her athletic prowess and her work as a distinguished teacher in the town of Old Saybrook.

An avid golfer, Mario also enjoyed sports, whether it was watching Lori play basketball or riding his bike alongside Marci on her causeway runs. He was indeed himself a star on the soccer teams at Valley Regional back in the 1950’s. He was a shoreline legend known for his powerful left foot, often scoring goals from a great distance. He loved watching the Boston Celtics, New York Yankees, and UConn Huskies. Mario was a self-taught and skilled weatherman, and those who knew him best would actually call him before a storm for meteorological predictions. Husband, Dad, Company Man, Sportster, Mario was a great man and lived a full and robust life and is most at peace now to be reunited with his Dolores.

The Alborghetti family will be holding a private service to honor Mario’s life. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Masonicare at 74 Cheshire Road, Wallingford, CT 06492.