'Mayor of Park Road' Richard Patrissi Has Died

Richard Patrissi, known affectionately in West Hartford as the "Mayor of Park Road," passed away early Thursday morning from cancer.

"He is irreplaceable. This is a very sad day for the town," Mayor Scott Slifka said.

Those who were closest to Patrissi said he was very quiet about his personal life, although he had a hand in nearly everything good that happened in the community. He never told anyone how old he was, although according to ancestry.com he was born in 1937.

"If you look at some of the things that have become institutions in West Hartford, you will find Richard has touched almost all of them in some way – the resurgence of Park Road, the Park Road Parade, Celebrate West Hartford," Slifka said.

Town Clerk Essie Labrot said nearly the same thing about Patrissi. "There's hardly anything in this town he wasn't involved in. He was a super guy. Across party lines, everyone loved him," she said.

Officially, the former owner of Patrissi Nursery served as a Justice of the Peace, a Constable, and as a Council Zoning Alternate, Labrot said. He was also a key member of the Park Road Neighborhood Association. His father, Frank Patrissi, was a member of the West Hartford Town Council in 1959, said Labrot.

"It's just devastating," said Director of Community Services Rob Rowlson, who said he had trouble even speaking about it.

Rowlson, who said he has known Patrissi for 30 years and considered him one of his closest friends, confirmed that Patrissi died of an aggressive cancer.

"The prognosis was bad, but no one expected it to be this morning. It was too soon," said Rowlson. "As prepared as I was, it hit me like a ton of bricks this morning."

Rowlson said that Patrissi's contributions to West Hartford were "immeasurable," and occurred in ways that no one will ever even realize. "He was a figure, a tower of strength for our community, especially for Park Road," said Rowlson. "There were big things that he did, but he also helped the little businesses, and never asked for anything personally in return."

Slifka said that Patrissi was a mentor to him – but not a political mentor. He helped anyone in a leadership learn how to use that sphere of leadership to benefit the community.

"They don't make them like Richard anymore," said Slifka. "He set the bar incredibly high, and none of us will ever be able to reach it."

"This sounds like a series of cliches, but it's true," Slifka said.

"There are few people in West Hartford who have done so much," said Town  Manager Ron Van Winkle. "He was one of those great guys. Everyone liked him, and we will miss him dearly."

Rowlson said Patrissi will definitely leave a legacy in West Hartford. "This is one of those moments in the town's life when we say, 'There was a real statesman for our community,'" he said.

"He lived a beautiful life. He lived a life well-lived," said Rowlson.

According to legacy.com, the following memorial and funeral arrangements have been made: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, March 11 at 10 a.m. at the Church of St. Helena, 30 Echo Lane, West Harford. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery. Friends and family may call on Sunday, March 10 from 2-6 p.m. at the Molloy Funeral Home, 906 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Donations in Richard's memory may be made to HARC, Inc., 900 Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT 06105 or Intensive Education Academy, 840 N. Main St., West Hartford, CT 06117. Online messages of sympathy may be made at www.molloyfuneralhome.com.

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