Six alumni and friends of St. Mary-St. Michael Elementary School in Derby will be recognized at a dinner from 6-9 p.m. March 28 at the Inn at Villa Bianca, 312 Roosevelt Drive, Seymour.
Pat Knott: Knott is a graduate of Assumption School in Ansonia, Derby High School, and Teikyo Post College in Waterbury.
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| Pat Knott |
He is the owner of Conn-Professional Water Services in Seymour and previously served as Director of Construction Services for Birmingham Water Utilities and Director and Founder of Birmingham H2O Services.
He is a member of the St. Mary Knights of Columbus Council 14611 and has volunteered for many committees and organizations including the St. Mary Church Task Force and as the co-chair of the St. Mary Parish Summer Festival.
Knott was the “go-to” guy when St. Mary-St. Michael School converted from oil to gas heat.
This move has saved the school thousands of dollars in heating costs.
Helen Ploski: Born in Ansonia on Sept. 13, 1919, she’s the daughter of Anna and Vincent Novinsky, who were Russian immigrants. She was the fourth of five children. She had two brothers, Alexander and John Novinsky, and two sisters, Mary Brenia Prokopchyk and Dorothy Behun.
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| Helen Ploski |
Ploski attended Ansonia schools and graduated from Ansonia High School and worked as a crane operator at Farrel Birmingham during World War II.
She married Anthony Ploski on Aug. 1, 1942. They had three children, Anthony Jr., Patricia Walania, and Bernadette Swanson. Ploski has six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren who are scattered all over the country in New Jersey, Missouri, Washington, Illinois, and Connecticut.
Her three children and one grandson graduated St. Michael's School and two grandchildren graduated St. Mary-St. Michael School. A grandson was in the first graduating class of the combined schools.
Ploski is a long-time member of St. Michael's Parish and a member of its choir and the Ladies Guild. She is also an active member of the Polish Falcons of America and was awarded the highest honor from that group, the Legion of Honor.
Ploski also belongs to the Catholic War Veterans of Derby and still helps out at the bingos at the West Haven Veterans Hospital and the Mother's Day Flower Sale.
She also attends the Derby Senior Center several days a week and for many years helped serve lunches there and was recognized by TEAM for her efforts.
Ploski loves music, plays, UCONN and Notre Dame men's and women's basketball teams. Her family calls her "the Valley's Energizer Bunny."
John Anglace: John is married to the former Theresa M. Palazza for 59 years and is the father of Sandra A. Kennington (Thomas) of Dallas, Ga. and John L. Anglace (Candis) of Seymour. They have five grandchildren.
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| John Anglace |
Anglace was born in Ansonia and raised in Derby. He attended St. Mary’s Church and St. Mary’s School where he served in the choir and as an Altar Boy.
He is a 1945 graduate of St. Mary’s School and a 1950 graduate of Bullard-Havens Technical School.
He is a 1960 Graduate of the University of Bridgeport where he majored in Industrial Relations.
Anglace is a U.S. Army veteran having served in Germany.
He has more than 40 years' domestic and international experience in private sector Labor Relations.
Anglace retired after 28 years service with Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest pharmaceutical company.
He has been a resident of Shelton since 1967 and has held the following positions in Shelton’s city government:
- City Welfare Director
- Chairman, Board of Apportionment & Taxation
- Member of the Board of Aldermen for 24 years and has served as its president for the last 20 years.
Anglace is an alumnus of Troop 3, BSA. He has been active in the Boy Scouts for more than 50 years and is the recipient of the Good Scout and the Silver Beaver Awards from the Housatonic Council, BSA.
He has been a communicant of St. Margaret Mary Church since 1967.
An avid golfer, John is a 25-year member of the Heritage Village Golf Club.
Jeff Heitmann: Born and raised in Derby, Heitmann is a 1985 graduate of St. Mary’s School and he graduated from Derby High School in 1989.
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| Jeff Heitmann |
He began working at Porch and Patio at a young age and built up an extensive knowledge of the business. His experience and hard work led to the opportunity to take ownership in 2010.
Heitmann is an active member of the community, and supports various charities and youth organizations throughout the area.
He annually donates to the school's Duck Race and this past year donated many 7 1/2 and 9 1/2 foot Christmas trees and hundreds of Christmas ornaments, figurines, wreaths, and decorations to the school’s Christmas Festival of Trees fundraiser.
He and his wife, Irene, have four children. They reside in Milford.
Donna and Chris Carloni: Chris graduated from Derby High School in 1987 and is employed by the City of Derby WPCA.
He serves on on the Board of Apportionment & Taxation and Capital Planning Commission. He was also on the building committee for the Derby Middle School, an assistant coach for Derby’s girls basketball team (city league), Justice of the Peace and Board of Apportionment & Taxation (2005-2009).
He is a parishioner of St. Mary’s Church and is a member of the Knight of Columbus. Chris is the head basketball coach for the school’s girls varsity team and also serves as the athletic director.
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| Chris and Donna Carloni |
Donna graduated from St. Mary’s School class of 1985 and graduated from Derby High School in 1989. She received her bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Sacred Heart University and is currently employed as a senior accountant at Richemont N.A. She is also a parishioner at St. Mary’s Church, serves on the church finance board and teaches second grade CCD.
She is a former member of the Derby Board of Aldermen, Derby Pop Warner cheerleading coach, board member of the school's HSA, co-chaired silent auctions, talent shows, festival of trees and bingo.
The couple volunteers at the church summer festivals, manage events for Holy Thursday Mass, coordinate flowers for Easter and Christmas, and arrange the crosses in front of the church. Together they are responsible for running monthly fund-raising dinners, the bingo kitchen, and a year-end sports banquet.
They have been married for 19 years and have two daughters: Amelia who graduated from St. Mary-St. Michael School in 2013 and Cristina, who will be graduating from the school in June.
A keepsake program book is being produced and advertisements, congratulatory, and in memoriam messages are available by contacting the school office.
The admission cost is $40 per person with tables of 10 available at a cost of $350.
Reservations are requested by March 21, and can be made by contacting Principal Linda Coppola at lcoppola@stmarystmichael.org or 203-735-6471.
St. Mary-St. Michael School was created in 1988 when St. Mary School (est. 1898) and St. Michael School (est. 1915) merged to form one school.
This is a press release from St. Mary-St. Michael School.
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