REPRINTS


Rembrance: Lee Fracchia
by Susan Barlow and others

I recently discovered these photos in the personal belongings of Sylvian "Sinch" Ofiara, Manchester Herald photographer in their heyday. I thought it would be nice to place them in sequence to to better record Lee's actions on that day in October of 1958. The last photo is the perfect ending to this story as he drives off with his catch hanging outside of his Jeep.

Lee was one of those people who does his job well and is even occasionally recognized for it. In Lee's case, the photos of him versus the skunk are typical of his responsibilities as Dog Warden (though in this case, "above and beyond" might be an appropriate addendum...). As is mentioned in his obituary, though, Lee was also heavily involved in Manchester athletics; and for this he was inducted as a Friend of Sport in 1989 to the Manchester Sports Hall of Fame (see photo as left).

Below is his obituary, taken from the Hartford Courant dated July 28, 1994.

Lee Fracchia (1910-1994)
Hartford Courant obituary, July 28, 1994


Lee Fracchia, 83, of Manchester, died Wednesday (July 27, 1994). He was the widower of Emily (Pillard) Fracchia. Lee was born in Alexandria, Italy, and had lived in Manchester most of his life. Before his retirement in 1975 Lee worked for the Town of Manchester as the Dog Warden. He also worked as a water company employee for the Town of Manchester. Lee was an avid fishermen and well known for his involvement in Manchester athletics. He is survived by two daughters and two sons-in-law, Nancy and Russell McKinney of Manchester, Janet and Michael Strange of Cheshire; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Enes Getzwich and Alba Cusali, both of Manchester; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be Saturday, 9:15 a.m., from the John F. Tierney Funeral Home, 219 West Center St., Manchester, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 10 a.m., in St. James Church, Manchester. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery, Manchester. Family and friends may call at the funeral home Friday, 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Town of Manchester Fire Department Paramedics Fund, 75 Center St., Manchester 06040.