Hamden Honors Late Mayor Lucien DiMeo

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden is honoring former Mayor Lucien DiMeo, who died April 23 at the age of 92, by lowering the town’s flags to half-mast.

“Hamden’s flags will fly at half-mast as a celebration of Mayor DiMeo’s life, career, and legacy,” according to a news release from the Mayor’s Office. “He will always be remembered by our town.”

DiMeo served as Hamden’s mayor for three terms, from 1973-1979, and was selected as Hamden’s Finest Mayor in 2007. The planning and initial construction of the Miller Memorial Library began under DiMeo’s tutelage. He supported social services, such as his community development programs, daycare centers, an elderly lunch program, and senior housing.

“Mayor DiMeo served our town admirably as mayor as evidenced by the institutions that he helped to build,” Mayor Lauren Garrett said in a statement. “His impact on our town will be felt by generations to come. I offer my condolences to his many friends and family.”

DiMeo also served in the Connecticut House of Representatives for four terms, from 1971-1973 and 1984-1988. He also served as the Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals in the late 1960s through the early 1970s.

DiMeo graduated from Hamden High School and obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Temple University, with honors. DiMeo came back to Hamden to work with his dad, James DiMeo, in his construction business, according to a news release. He then went on to start his own business, a residential and industrial property management company.

“Mayor DiMeo retired, and then came out of retirement to partner with his sons, James and Lucien Jr., as well as with Joseph Natale, in a company that does commercial rehabilitation and brownfield remediation,” the news release states. “Mayor DiMeo had a strong sense of community service. He was a board director at St. Raphael’s Hospital, and traveled to Haiti twice as a missionary to help with the construction of an outpatient clinic for tuberculosis at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital. Mayor DiMeo served in the Army and was an active member of Rotary. He was named Citizen of the Year in 1985 by the Hamden Chamber of Commerce.

“Mayor DiMeo enjoyed traveling with his loving partner of almost 20 years, Diane Adam, and loved his family immensely. He was an avid gardener, keeping an organic garden, and won the Gardner of the Month Award in Fort Myers countless times. Mayor DiMeo was proud of his Italian heritage and a beloved member of Hamden’s community.”

Read the full obituary here.