Louis A. Avitabile

Louis Anthony Avitabile Sr., of Maplewood Road, who gained notoriety when he saved the historic Elliott house from demolition, died peacefully on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, at Subacute Center of Bristol, surrounded by his family, after a courageous five-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Born on April 3, 1942, in Southington, Mr. Avitabile was a parishioner of St. Thomas Church. He was the president of the former Southington Auto Parts & True Value Hardware.

Mr. Avitabile, whose mother came from San Felice Cangello, Italy, and his father from Agerola, Italy, was proud of his Italian heritage and his roots. He fondly spoke of growing up on Liberty Street -- the old Italian neighborhood -- where his parents and grandparents had lived and where he first lived after marrying his high school sweetheart, Barbara (Palumbo) Avitabile, who cared for him during his illness. He began working at age 9 with his father and brother, delivering milk for McNerney Bros. Dairy.

During his teen years, Mr. Avitabile began working on cars, a hobby that turned into a lifelong career. After graduating from Southington High School in 1960, he worked for Weiner's Auto Parts and part time as a construction assistant with Delahunty Builders. In April 1973, he opened his own store, Southington Auto Parts, in the plaza behind the old Guido's grocery store on Main Street. Mr. Avitabile later moved the business to 447 North Main St., where it operated until 1999.

He also opened a satellite store, A & D Foreign Car Parts, on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike, the first Southington store which sold foreign car parts. In 1981, after a fire destroyed a downtown hardware store, Mr. Avitabile combined his auto parts business with the True Value Hardware chain. After nearly 27 years and five additions to the store, Mr. Avitabile closed the business on Dec. 31, 1999, and entered retirement.

Mr. Avitabile, who had fond memories of the 1950s, transformed a garage next to his store to a 1950s car museum/diner showroom to house his extensive collection of vintage cars. The museum, a shrine to his youth Mr. Avitabile used to say, had a black-and-white checkered floor, oldies music, neon lights and stand-alone cutouts of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. Often, he entered classic car show contests, receiving several trophies for the original condition of his cars.

For three years, Mr. Avitabile held his own car cruises on his North Main Street property, attracting upward of 175 cars and hundreds of people. He said the shows were his way of giving back to the community.

Mr. Avitabile successfully fought to save the home of the late Stephen Elliott, a prominent local attorney and former judge of probate, and had the 11-room home (now Prudential Realty) moved to his property on North Main Street on Feb. 4, 1993.

Mr. Avitabile said he would be remembered as the man who moved the more than 200-year-old Elliott house, which had been located on the current Super Stop & Shop property opposite Curtiss Street. "It's not a particularly attractive or valuable landmark," he said in a December 1992 newspaper article. "To me, it's a part of this town and it would be a shame to lose it."

Despite dozens of roadblocks, Mr. Avitabile, with the help of local attorney Elizabeth Kopec, moved the colonial-revival architectural home about 500 feet to his property at 441 North Main St. amid hundreds of residents and media. Route 10 temporarily was closed to traffic.

Although Mr. Avitabile was successful in his 1994 run for Board of Finance on the Republican ticket -- a top vote-getter in that election -- he was unable to serve due to a stipulation in the Town Charter requiring an even split between Democrats and Republicans.

Mr. Avitabile was a member of the Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce. On Jan. 28, 1994, he received the Beautification Award during the chamber's 56th annual meeting and awards dinner for moving the Elliott house to his property.

On May 16, 2003, more than 500 people attended a dinner in honor of Mr. Avitabile at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville to raise money for ALS research. He was very happy with the large turnout and visited with many family members, friends and old customers.

Mr. Avitabile is survived by Barbara Avitabile; his three children, Claudia Licursi and her husband, Scott of Plantsville, Karen A. Avitabile Davis and her husband, Gregory of Plantsville, and Louis A. Avitabile Jr. and his wife, Roxanne of Southington; two grandchildren, Samantha and Joshua Licursi of Plantsville; a sister, Carmel Avitabile of Plantsville; four nephews; and one niece. He was predeceased by his parents, Louise and Joseph Avitabile; one brother, Officer Joseph Avitabile; and his in-laws, William and Rose Palumbo.

Mr. Avitabile's family would like to thank the nurses and doctors of Subacute Center of Bristol for the wonderful care he received there for close to two years. The staff grew fond of him and enjoyed his jokes.

The funeral will take place on Thursday, at 9:15 a.m. from the DellaVecchia Funeral Home, 211 North Main St., Southington. A Mass of Christian burial will follow in St. Thomas Church at 10 a.m. Burial will be in St. Thomas Cemetery. Family and friends may call at the funeral home on Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. Memorial contributions in memory of Mr. Avitabile can be made to: St. Thomas School, 133 Bristol St., Southington, CT 06489, or Connecticut Friends for ALS, P.O. Box 336, South Glastonbury, CT 06073.

Visitation

Date

Time

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007

4-8 p.m.

Visitation Location

DellaVecchia Funeral Home

211 N. Main St.

Southington, CT 06489