ER alum and former teachers honored by County

ER alum and former teachers honored by County
Posted on 03/14/2023
ER alum honored by County

Thomas Conners and Nicholas Verzella will be honored during the Monroe County Legislative meeting Tuesday, March 14, 2023 with proclamations honoring their 96-plus years of service to the East Rochester community and the nation as patriots, educators and community leaders with a lifetime of commitment to their fellow citizens. 

 

Nick and Tom met in kindergarten in 1930, graduated from East Rochester High School in 1944, served during WWII, taught together in ER schools, raised amazing families with Dorothy Verzella and Mary Conners respectively, and led the East Rochester community with grace and good humor for their 96 years of life and service.

 

During the East Rochester Village meeting on Tuesday, March 7, Mayor Alfieri and the ER Village Board named Tuesday, March 14, 2023 as Thomas A. Conners Day and Nicholas A. Verzella Day in East Rochester. Afterward, the two men shared stories with the Mayor, the ER Village Board members and the Village Manager.


The proclamations will be read in the Legislative Chambers of the Monroe County Office Building on West Main Street in the City of Rochester on March 14, 2023 at 6 p.m., by Legislator John Baynes. At 6:45 p.m., following the ceremony at the County Office Building, a reception will be held at Prince George’s in East Rochester. 

Monroe County Legislature Recognizes Thomas A. Conners, Jr.

Whereas, It is the sense of this Legislature to honor and celebrate the people and organizations that make Monroe County a better place to live; and

Whereas, Attendant to such concern, these Legislators are justly proud to honor Thomas A. Conners, Jr.; and

Whereas, Thomas A. Conners, Jr., a Lifelong East Rochesterian, has lived in East Rochester for his 96 years, and graduated from East Rochester High School in 1944; and was named an Alumnus of Distinction by the East Rochester Alumni Foundation; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, a Veteran and a Patriot, served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II, has been an active member of the American Legion for over 50 years, served as Commander of the East Rochester American Legion Post on two occasions, traveled with his fellow veterans on Honor Flight to the World War II monuments in Washington D.C. and on Gary Sinise’s Soaring Valor program to the National World War II Museum in New Orleans; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, an Educator of Excellence, served the students of the East Rochester schools for 35 years, teaching 6th grade and 7th and 8th grade Social Studies from 1951 to 1986, led his professional community as President of the East Rochester Teachers Association, performed committee work for the ER schools, attended St. Lawrence University and SUNY at Geneseo on the G.I. Bill, earning B.S. and M.S. degrees from Geneseo; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, an Athlete and Coach, served as a caddy at Monroe Golf Club in the 1930s, played golf at a competitive level his entire adult life, played soccer and basketball at SUNY at Geneseo, coached Varsity Tennis for 15 years, served as Asst. Varsity Football coach and Modified Basketball coach, and announced games as the Voice of the Bombers; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, Community Leader, served as a trustee on the East Rochester Village Board for 9 years, co-chaired the East Rochester Bi-Centennial celebration with his wife Mary in 1976, participated as a member of the East Rochester Rotary for 45 years, serving as its President and winning a Paul Harris Fellow award, served as a volunteer firefighter for the ERFD for 5 years, served as ER Village Historian for 4 years, was named Man of the Year by the St. Nicholas Society, and Citizen of the Year by the E.R. Rotary club, serves as an usher at the Church of St. Jerome where he continues to be active, and continues to serve as keynote speaker at community celebrations; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, Citizen of the World, has traveled to Europe on many occasions throughout his life, leading tours to the cultural treasures of Europe with his wife Mary and introducing art and culture to the lives of his fellow citizens, led his sons and their friends on golf trips to Scotland and especially to his family’s home town of Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula in West Scotland, proudly visits his son Kevin Conners, one of the leading tenors in the world who holds a tenured residency with the Munich National Opera; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, Devoted to Family, raised with his late wife Mary their children Thomas A. Conners the 3rd, John “Jack” Conners, Doug Conners, Kevin Conners, James Conners, Edward “Ted” Conners, and Katie Conners DeVito of whom he and Mary are justifiably proud, and continues to gather his children and ten grandchildren around him in celebration of family at his home on Woodbine Avenue in East Rochester; and

Whereas, Tom Conners, Esteemed By His Community, is universally recognized by the entire community of East Rochester as a role model for a life of service, faith, family, and fun; and

Whereas today, March 14, 2023, has been named Thomas A. Conners, Jr. Day by the Village of East Rochester;

Now, therefore, be it known, that we, President Sabrina Lamar, County Executive Adam Bello, Legislator John Baynes, District 18 , Legislator Howard Maffucci, District 10, Legislator Frank Allkofer, District 4, and Legislator George Hebert, District 15, do hereby honor Thomas A. Conners, Jr., for his commitment to serving Rochester and Monroe County on this 14th day of March, 2023.

The Monroe County Legislature Recognizes Nicholas A. Verzella 

Whereas, It is the sense of this Legislature to honor and celebrate the people and organizations that make Monroe County a better place to live; and 

Whereas, Attendant to such concern, these Legislators are justly proud to honor Nicholas A. Verzella; and 

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, a lifelong East Rochesterian, has lived in East Rochester for his 96 years, and graduated from East Rochester High School in 1 944; and was named an Alumnus of Distinction by the East Rochester Alumni Foundation;

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, a Veteran and a Patriot, served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II from 1944 1946; was honored by the Americanism Award from the Monroe County American Legion in 1997, was named Legionnaire of the Year by the East Rochester American Legion Post 1917 on two occasions, was named Catholic War Veteran of the Year by the Catholic War Veterans of New York State in 1999, was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame; and in further service to his fellow veterans and his nation, Nicholas A. Verzella led the Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies for many years from the bandstand in East Rochester’s Edmund Lyon Park which is named in his honor: the Nick Verzella Bandstand; and 

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, an Educator of Excellence, served the students of the East Rochester schools for 39 years as a teacher, principal, and interim superintendent, and was named Educator of the Year by the American Legion of New York in 2004, and was honored as a finalist for New York State Teacher of the Year on two occasions, and earned the American Educators Medal from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge in 1975; and 

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, an Athlete and Coach, coached football, basketball, and baseball at multiple levels for the ER Bombers, and served as ER Bombers Football Announcer for 20 years, and was inducted into the ER Schools’ Athletic Wall of Fame, and served a athletes and coaches; and as a master of ceremonies and speaker at banquets and ceremonies of honor to uplift ER athletes and coaches; and

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, a Community Leader, was named Rotary Citizen of the Year in 1974, and was honored as the St. Nicholas Society Man of the Year in 1975; and 

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, Devoted To Family, raised with his late wife Dorothy their children Lisa and Jeff both of whom are leaders in their chosen professions, and of whom Nicholas and Dorothy are justifiably proud; and 

Whereas, Nicholas A. Verzella, Esteemed By His Community, was described by his fellow teachers this way: “Nick believes in the value of the individual, of human dignity, and has the God given art of getting the best from everyone and the ability to make one feel as tall as a giant.”

Whereas today, March 14, 2023, has been named Nicholas A. Verzella Day by the Village of East Rochester; Now, therefore, be it known, that we, Sabrina Lamar, President, Adam Bello, County Executive, John Baynes, Legislator, District 18, Howard Maffucci, Legislator, District 10, Blake Keller, Legislator, District 1, Tracy DiFlorio, Legislator, District 3, Frank Allkofer, Legislator, District 4, and George Hebert, Legislator, District 15, do hereby honor Nicholas A. Verzella, for his commitment to serving Rochester and Monroe County on this 14th day of March, 2023.