Longtime RTM Member Torelli Retires As She Hopes For Kidney Donor

BRANFORD, CT —Longtime RTM member Clare Torelli will not be seeking reelection after 18 years due to declining health, she announced.

Torelli represented the 1st District for nine terms.

Noting she's proud of the work she's accomplished on the RTM, added that she was "Always thinking about what was best for the community and being an advocate for the people."

“I’d like to recognize and thank Clare Torelli for her years of public service in Branford - there’s hardly anyone I think who does not know her in town,” said Democratic RTM Leader Tracy Everson. “And for her, and others, if you are able, consider becoming an organ donor. Thank you Clare for your years of service to Branford schools and on the RTM.

Torelli thanked her constituents, "For trusting me as your representative for so long.”

Torelli was diagnosed in August 2021 with Stage 5 kidney failure from polycystic kidney disease, according to a news release. She is on dialysis three days a week, four hours a day as she "continues to search for a kidney donor who can help save her life."

A live kidney donor is preferable, as the wait is four to five years for organ donations. Clare has type O blood, so finding a match is important. But she said that anyone who does decide to donate a kidney will help to move her up on the donor list.

“Clare’s integrity and wisdom has been a North Star, not only for her colleagues on the RTM, but for all Branford Democrats,” said Democratic Town Committee Chair Kevin Coughlin. “We all have two kidneys but only need one. I hope you will consider donating to help Clare, a pillar of the Branford community.”

Torelli spent 43 years a receptionist at Branford High School. She's a former volunteer of MADD, Branford Compassion Club, Branford Community Dining Room, Walter Camp Foundation, and the Special Olympics.

A 1967 graduate of Branford High and a Branford native, her children were the fourth generation to grow up in her family home.

“Clare’s integrity and wisdom has been a North Star, not only for her colleagues on the RTM, but for all Branford Democrats,” said Democratic Town Committee Chair Kevin Coughlin. “We all have two kidneys but only need one. I hope you will consider donating to help Clare, a pillar of the Branford community.”

For more information about donation, complete an online form at HartfordHospital.org/LivingDonation or call the Living Donor Coordinator at 833-222-7770.