Educator to be Honored for Service to Naugatuck

A longtime Naugatuck teacher, coach and civic-minded resident will be honored next month with the Raymond K. Foley Award for 2011.

Gordon Rossi, of Naugatuck, is the recipient of the community award this year, which is presented to a resident that shows dedication and service to children in the borough.

“I’m very humbled and very grateful to the committee and the people who nominated me,” said Rossi. “This is quite an honor. Mr. Foley actually hired me for my first teaching job and his son was one of my students.”

Named in honor of the former educator Raymond K. Foley, the Naugatuck School Council presents the award to a Naugatuck resident. The goal of the award is to honor an individual or group who has demonstrated outstanding service and unselfish dedication, which contributes to the betterment of Naugatuck children.

Rossi will be presented the award during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 10, at the Crystal Room at 98 School Street in Naugatuck.

Rossi’s contributions to the Naugatuck Public Schools and the community of Naugatuck are truly in keeping with the spirit of the Foley Award. He taught in the Naugatuck school system for more than 38 years. During that time he was a three-term president of the Naugatuck Teachers League, a member of the Connecticut Education Association and the National Education Association.

“I had a saying and I would put the initials of TCB on the blackboard,” said Rossi. “It stood for, take care of business.”

It’s been his motto all his life, Rossi explained.

“If you do that everything will fall into place,” he said. “The most rewarding part of my career has been seeing the kids I teach go on to become successful members of the community. It doesn’t matter if they are involved in athletics, music or any other group. The main thing is to go on and do well in life, period.”

Rossi said his interest in teaching started when he himself was a young student.

“As a kid one of my teachers Ray Dowling Sr. inspired me to go into the education field,” Rossi said. “He was my social studies teacher and later went on to become principal.”

“There were other teachers who influenced me like Jack Kane and Jeanine Laliberte. My mentor was Robert Markovich. We taught at Salem and then moved on to Hillside.”

Rossi’s memberships in civic organizations also show a strong commitment to Naugatuck’s youth. He was a member of the Naugatuck Park and Recreation Commission for 23 years, serving as president for six of those years. He is also a past member of both the Elks and Naugatuck Exchange Clubs, and a 25-year member of the Kollege Kapers musical group. He still performs every year in their annual show, Rossi said.

Rossi also continues to be a Naugatuck Hall of Fame committee member for the past 25 years serving as vice-president for 10 years and two terms as president.

And here comes the part of his resume with a lengthy number of titles: athletics.

Rossi has been involved in sports for most of his 38-year teaching career. He was a volunteer coach for YMCA Little Pal, the Peter J. Foley Little League and a head coach for the Union City Little League Tigers.

Rossi was also a volunteer official for the Naugatuck Junior Football league, Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle baseball leagues and served as the St. Vincent Ferrer CYO basketball coach for one season.

He also served as a volunteer basketball referee for the boys and girls teams at Hillside for 20 years and was the freshman and junior varsity soccer coach at Naugatuck High School in the 1990’s. To top it off, he also coached girls’ softball at Hillside School.

“I really enjoyed coaching,” said Rossi. “I first started while I was in high school with my best friend Paul Stinson down at the YMCA.”

"After college I coached the Exchange Club in the Little Pal league. But I think my most cherished achievement coaching came when Mark Diver and I started the girls softball program at Hillside.”

“I think that was one of the highlights of my career seeing that program get off the ground and help so many kids get introduced to athletics.”

Tickets for the dinner are available at all Naugatuck public schools and the Board of Education offices at 380 Church Street. Tickets are $30 for adults and $25 for children under 10. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets bought ahead of time must be done so by Tuesday May 3, 2011.