Greenwich Selectmen To Honor Colleague Dave Theis

In what will be their first meeting since the Dec. 23 passing of Greenwich Selectman Dave Theis, the Board of Selectmen plan to honor their late colleague at Thursday morning’s meeting.

“We’re convening our meeting and dedicating it to him. We’ve invited all of the former selectmen and first selectmen to attend the meeting,” said Selectman Drew Marzullo. “If people cannot attend his memorial service Saturday morning, they are welcome to attend our meeting tomorrow (Thursday).”

The Selectmen will meet at 10 a.m. in the Town Hall Meeting Room at Greenwich Town Hall, where a memorial in the lobby stands.

A public memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at Christ Church Greenwich. First Selectman Peter Tesei is scheduled to deliver a eulogy for his Republican colleague who served five years as selectman. Theis, 65, died after he collapsed during a workout in a Riverside gym. A private service was held Dec. 30.

Among those expected to attend the Jan. 8 Board of Selectmen meeting are former selectmen Peter Crumbine, Ned Lamont, Lin Lavery, Frank Mazza, Penny Monahan and David Singer, and former first selectmen Jim Lash and John Margenot, according to Marzullo.

“This meeting is our first since Dave’s passing. It will be an unfamiliar optic that will be met with a very heavy heart,” Marzullo said. “We served five years together. I loved Dave Theis.”

Thursday’s selectmen’s meeting agenda is short — the approval of meeting minutes and the memorial to Theis.

Marzullo said that he anticipates that he and Tesei will make a recommendation and vote on a successor to Theis next week. The Town Charter requires the two selectmen to appoint a successor who is a member of the same party — in this a Republican. If the board cannot unanimously agree within 30 days of the creation of the vacancy, then it would be left to the Republican Town Committee to decide.

“Peter and I have met and talked with various interested individuals who are being considered — former Representative Town Meeting members, current Representative Town Meeting members, former and current elected officials and people who are non-government,” Marzullo said.

“We’re not without a choice. We live in a town that is overwhelmed with people who want to give back to the community,” Marzullo added.

The appointment would be for the remainder of Theis’s term that expires in December.

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