Selina H. McArdle

Selina H. McArdle died on April 23, 2020 due to complications following surgery at MidState Medical Center, Meriden, Connecticut. She is survived by James M. McArdle of Cheshire, Conn., her husband of 61 years; her sons Joseph McArdle of Waterbury, Conn., and Christopher McArdle of Hartford, Conn.; and her granddaughters Kaitlin McArdle of Cheshire, Conn., and Caroline McArdle of Storrs, Conn. She is also survived by her brother William Hill and his wife, Jean of Haddonfield, N.J.; her cousin James Burgess of Southington, Conn.; daughter-in-law Cathy McArdle of Auburn, N.Y.; and sisters-in-law Judy Stanard of Newark, Delaware. and Nancy Leonard of Madison, Conn.; as well as several nieces and nephews and her many friends. She was predeceased by her son Matthew McArdle in 2016.

Selina was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on January 20th, 1939 to Vivian and William Hill. She grew up and went to high school in Hawley, Pennsylvania. She was an accomplished pianist and was accepted into Lebanon Valley College’s Conservatory of Music. That is where she met her husband, Jim.

The couple were married in nearby Hershey in 1958 and moved to Wallingford, Connecticut where their sons Chris and Joe were born. A job opportunity took them to Chicago and they returned to Cheshire in 1966 where a third son, Matt joined the family.

A few years later, with her children in school, Selina began a career of civic involvement as the author of the Health and Social Services component of the Community Development Action Plan (CDAP) upon which Cheshire’s current political and economic structures are based.

As a result of her work on CDAP, she became acutely aware of an almost total lack of support or services for Cheshire’s senior citizen community, which represented 10 percent of the towns’ population. Her desire to address these needs led her to accept appointment as Connecticut’s first Municipal Agent to the State Department of Aging in 1972. She held this position until 1985 when upon her retirement, the Town Council created and funded three paid positions to replace her volunteer efforts.

In 1995 when presenting Cheshire Academy’s Community Service Award to Selina, Headmaster John R. Hyslop chronicled her civic career as quoted here;

“Beginning in 1971 with her 15 year career as Connecticut’s first municipal agent for the elderly, she realized that more could be accomplished as a decision maker. That led her to a distinguished career as one of the longest serving members of the Cheshire Town Council, spanning 5 terms over a ten year period from 1975-1985. During and surrounding that time as a Council Member, she played a critical, if not founding, role in the establishment of organizations and elderly services including; Cheshire Housing Authority’ which ultimately built 150 units for senior citizens; the town’s purchase and remodeling of the Moore House on Maple Avenue, which now serves a vital Senior Citizen Center; Cheshire Hospice; the Infoline for elderly services; the Commission on Aging; Meals-on-Wheels; a town-wide Energy Commission; a nutrition program; and around town bus service exclusively for the elderly.

As a town council member or private citizen, she has served on Cheshire’s Charter Revision Commission; the Northwest Area Agency on Aging; the library board; the Cheshire Public Health Nursing Board; the Central Naugatuck Region Planning Agency; the Commission for Handicapped and Disabled; and Local Crisis Intervention Services.

It is no surprise that this wonderful volunteer public servant has received a host of accolades beginning with recognition by the Senior Citizen’s Club in 1972. Subsequent honors include the Cheshire Jaycees first Distinguished Service Award to a woman in 1973, special commendation by Governor Grasso in 1975, a Citation by the State Department of Aging in 1977, and the very first Cheshire Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Community Service Award (1978), followed shortly thereafter by a similar recognition by the Cheshire Grange.”

Following her civic career, she opened and operated the Creative Craft Center at 98 Elm Street in Cheshire, which offered a full range of supplies and services for artists engaged in watercolor and oil painting, decorative painting, and all of the needle arts. She also offered an ambitious schedule of classes and instructions in each of these categories. She continued the business for 15 years before retiring to spend time with friends and family, particularly her granddaughters at her homes at Lake Teedyuskung in Pennsylvania and Manasota Key in Florida. All who knew Selina enjoyed her quick wit and sense of humor, and respected her strength, determination and commitment to accomplish anything she undertook. She was a warm and compassionate person who left the world a better place than she found it.

A contribution in Selina’s memory may be made to The Cheshire Senior Center Membership Association, 240 Maple Ave, Cheshire, CT 06410

Due to the Covid-19 epidemic a private service will be held at a later date.