George Colagiovanni

George Colagiovanni, 83, a longtime resident of West Hartford and beloved husband of 45 years to the late Yolanda (Iannetta) Colagiovanni, died peacefully on Thursday, (October 2, 2008) at Hartford Hospital. George was born in Baranello, Italy and immigrated to the United States at the age of 20 after serving in the Italian Army. He retired from CNG in 1988 after 38 years of service. He was a member of the Baranello Club and loved to bowl and spend time in his garden. He will be sorely missed by his daughters Annette Benker of Glastonbury and Olga Kolat and her husband Glenn of Putnam. George was a special 'Pa' to his granddaughters Kristin and Johanna Kolat of Putnam who were the loves of his life. He also leaves his brother-in-law and best friend Mark Pietrandrea of Wethersfield, with whom he loved making wine with every year; brother-in-law and sister-in-law John and Mary Iannetta of Holmdel, NJ; and a special nephew Anthony Colagiovanni of Newington, whom he loved to visit with and talk about 'the old country.' George also leaves many nieces, nephews, close friends and Paisanos. He was predeceased by his sisters Filomena Manocchio, Maria DiChiro and Ellen Pietrandrea. Funeral services will leave Monday, October 6 at 10 a.m. from the D'Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd, Wethersfield for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at St. Brigid Church, West Hartford. Burial will follow in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery, Bloomfield. Calling hours will be Sunday from 3-7 p.m. at the funeral chapel. In lieu of flowers donations in George's memory may be made to the Board of Education and Services for the Blind (BESB), 184 Windsor Avenue, Windsor, CT 06095 or to the American Diabetes Foundation, 306 Industrial Park Road, Suite 105, Middletown, CT 06457. For on-line expressions of sympathy, please visit www.desopo.com.