FALLS VILLAGE — The two-hour memorial service held in his honor on June 10 was a snapshot of everything that mattered most to John Leo Mahoney, known to all as Jack, who died May 14, 2011, at the age of 73.Of course tears were shed by many in the audience and on the stage of the auditorium at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. But overall, it was a service that, like Mahoney, was fun, funny and filled with references to the Boston Red Sox — including a “seventh-inning stretch” about three quarters of the way through. Everyone in the audience stood up and sang along to “Sweet Caroline,” which has been the official seventh-inning stretch song at every Red Sox game since 2002.Fenway Park would, arguably, be the only other place that Mahoney might have chosen for a memorial service in his honor. But, really, no place was more appropriate than Housatonic Valley Regional High School, to which he had devoted so much of his life. The downstairs of the auditorium, which seats 406 people, was full. The front seats were filled with family, including Mahoney’s mother, Florence.Ed Kirby was the master of ceremonies, taking charge of the stage and proceedings as he had done so many times during the years when he was a top administrator at the school and in the school district, and when Mahoney was (first) an English teacher and (later) the high school’s principal. Kirby was also one of Mahoney’s closest friends and (along with another close friend, Barclay Prindle) a member of the National Outlaw and Lawman’s Association. His commitment to exploring the Wild West, his devotion to tennis, his annual almost mythic visits to the Red Sox training camp in Florida and his joy in other such pleasurable activities were recounted in many of the tales shared by the 14 guest speakers.But much was also said about his extraordinary commitment to the high school (and, especially, its students), the nearby D. M. Hunt Library, the Democratic Party and many other nonprofit and charitable organizations.Each of his four children spoke, sharing stories that were amusing and tender, sometimes choking back tears at memories of the many ways their father supported them, guided them and loved them.“The two words that sum him up are teacher and father,” said Nancy (Mahoney) Soper, the youngest child (known affectionately by her dad as Number Four). “He was always right beside me, with a hand on my back, giving me a gentle nudge.”His colleagues from his years in education spoke reverently of him as a mentor and someone who set an example that they could and still do follow. David Bayersdorfer was an early protege of Mahoney’s and has filled many roles at the school (including a recent stint as interim assistant principal last fall, after he officially retired). He referred to Mahoney as “mentor and tor-mentor” at times because he set a high standard and was unwavering in his expectation that the standard would be met. Grammar and clarity in thinking and writing were areas of particular concern. Several people, including his children, recalled the way he wielded a red pen like a sword, ruthlessly correcting errors in spelling and syntax.Many of the speakers referred to Mahoney’s love of the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. And, yes, several mentions were made of his devotion to the Red Sox. Mahoney’s companion on his Florida baseball trips was always his cousin, Mike Groom, who shared some of the highlights of their travels. He talked about how thrilled they both were to be able to stay in the same hotel as their baseball-playing idols, and stopped to ask, “Do you remember the last time you were just thrilled?” The biggest thrill of all came when the cousins came upon legendary Sox player Nomar Garciaparra at the hotel: “We instantly turned into two 12-year-olds.”After he received word that Mahoney had died, Groom said he sat down to watch the Yankees and the Red Sox play each other. The Sox won. And they swept their rivals in that series. Groom said he is sure that those victories and similar wins on June 7, 8 and 9 were a tribute to one of the team’s most devoted fans.Fred Baldwin was one of the final speakers, and he reminded audience members that there will be a Jack Mahoney Memorial Tennis Tournament at the high school tennis courts (named in honor of Mahoney and former high school Athletic Director Roland Chinatti) on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. In Mahoney’s memory, everyone will play with everyone and play will rotate every 20 minutes. All proceeds from the tournament and the sale of refreshments at the courts will benefit the 21st Century Fund.The finale to the evening ceremony was the reading of a letter from John Perotti, who is chairman of the 21st Century Fund. The letter explained that Mahoney got the idea for the fund while traveling across America to study “best practices” in education. A California school was using a mix of public and private funding to pay for programs. Mahoney returned to Connecticut to create the 21st Century Fund (with the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation), which sought private donations for all the seven schools in the Region One School District.At present, the fund is trying to raise $5,000 to finish the new science and technology center in what was formerly the Clarke Wood agricultural education building at Housatonic. Memorial donations in Mahoney’s memory may be sent to 21st Century Fund for HVRHS, 246 Warren Turnpike Road, Falls Village, CT 06031.For information on the tennis tournament, email Cynthia Hochswender at cindyinsharon@gmail.com.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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