Middletown Resident, 103, To Receive Free Roof Replacement In Giveaway

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A 103-year-old Middletown resident, who served in World War II and as a Middletown firefighter, will receive a new roof as part of a local company’s annual giveaway promotion.

Ciriello and Sons Construction LLC, an exterior remodeling company located on Saybrook Road in Middletown, recently announced John Cyrulik Sr. is this year’s recipient of its annual Roof Giveaway.

Participants can post a submission to the company’s website, nominating themselves, a family member, or a friend, according to employee Erica Holbert.

Holbert said they received a nomination from Leslie Cyrulik for her father-in-law John that “caught our whole office’s attention.”

“My father-in-law is the true definition of a member of the Middletown community,” Leslie Cyrulik wrote in the submission. “Dad was born in Middletown on December 10th, 1918. He has lived in Middletown his entire 103 years of life - except for the 44 months he served our great nation in WWII in the South Pacific. Dad was drafted one day before Pearl Harbor was hit, and by mid-January was serving our country in the United States Army.

“Upon returning from war, Dad became a Middletown Firefighter. For the next 29 years he continued his service to Middletown. Dad has always been a person that has put others first. At the age of sixteen, Dad dropped out of school to help support his nine siblings after his father had passed away. He was always at Saint Mary’s church helping the ladies make their yearly batch of pierogies. You can ask any of his neighbors on Westfield Terrace, which is the street he has lived on for the past 60 years - He has always been one of those neighbors willing to help. Now at 103, Dad cannot help people as much as he would like to, but his spirit is strong and, in his own way, he still looks out for his neighbors. On a good day he can be found sitting on his front stoop just watching his neighborhood, making sure everything is the way it is supposed to be.”

Holbert said that as Leslie continued to make note of John Cyrulik’s selfless service in the army, as well as a Middletown firefighter, “we knew immediately this was our guy.”

Ciriello and Sons Construction LLC will give Cyrulik a full roof replacement at his home on Oct. 25.

“We are extremely excited to be part of this event, as well as work for a company that sees the value in contributing to our local community,” Holbert said.