Obituary of Egidio Richard Zaffino

Brookfield – Mr. Egidio R. Zaffino, age 99, of Brookfield and formerly of Redding, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 17, 2023 surrounded by his children.  He was the husband of the late Doris (Waterbury) Zaffino.

Mr. Zaffino was born April 26, 1923 in Stamford, son of the late Pasquale and Laura (Colosi) Zaffino.  He is survived by his five children: Richard Zaffino (Eileen), Dory Corrigan (Mike), Paula Keeler (Kevin), Amy Gaal (Charlie), and Matt Zaffino (Robyn); his sister, Wanda Vodola; his grandchildren: Rachael, Christy, Dave, Liz, Enzo, their spouses and fiancee; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.  In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by his sisters, Violet Nedley and Dorothea DeFilippis. 

He worked for many years at Peabody Engineering in Stamford, and after retiring as a Director of Credit, continued to incorporate his love of numbers into his life.  He kept meticulous records of all kinds and prepared tax returns for family members through 2022.

Music was another important part of Mr. Zaffino’s life, having been influenced by his father, who conducted a WPA band in Stamford.  He was a member and secretary/treasurer of Local 626 musician’s union for many years, but his true passion was conducting.  A notable highlight was conducting the United States Marine Band at the age of 87 while they played a piece that his father composed.  In the 1960s, he was the choir conductor for St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Stamford, where he conducted the High Mass.  He also loved to sing and could often be heard at weekly Sunday mass at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Brookfield, where he was a faithful parishioner. Additionally, he was a long-time fan of the Atlanta Braves, and he traveled to Florida annually to enjoy the Spring Training games. 

Gee greatly enjoyed the annual Colosi Family Picnic, founded in 1962 by his mother’s family, where he spent time with generations of his family. A bocce tournament was one of the picnic’s traditions, and Gee played at the June 2022 picnic at the age of 99.  The day often ended with a competitive card game of pinochle, and he played cards weekly with his nonagenarian sister and cousin every Friday into 2023. 

His family will receive relatives and friends at the Brookfield Funeral Home, 786 Federal Road in Brookfield on Monday, February 27, 2023 from 3 pm to 7 pm.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 10 am at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 1 Obtuse Hill Road in Brookfield.  Burial will be in Redding Ridge Cemetery on Black Rock Turnpike in Redding.

To place online condolences or light a memorial candle, please visit https://cornellmemorial.com/47/Brookfield-Funeral-Home.html