Virginia Ann Manzi, 80, formerly of Middlebury, died Monday, October 26, 2009 at the Lutheran Home of Southbury after a long illness. She was the wife of Aldo A. Manzi.
Virginia was the daughter of the late John and Ella (Navage) Adams and was born in Waterbury on November 10, 1928. Besides her husband of 51 years, she leaves a son Stephen Manzi of Pleasantville, NY, his wife, Carla and two grandsons, Philip and Alexander Manzi, a daughter Andrea Frank and her husband Steven of Framingham, MA.
She attended St. Joseph's School, Crosby High School and the University of Connecticut, where she graduated in 1950 with a BA in Business. After graduation, she was employed at the Benrus Watch CO, and later in the purchasing departments at Uniroyal Chemical and Seymour Brass Co. She also worked as a personnel counselor for UniTemps/UniSearch Services. After retiring, she volunteered at the UConn Health Center in Farmington as a "cuddler" of premature babies with lung disease. For many years later, she was a volunteer mediator in the Family Relations Office of the Waterbury Superior Court. She also volunteered to be a secretary for the initial fund raising efforts for the building of the present Middlebury Library. She remained at the library after its dedication as a secretary and earned a certificate of Library Associate. She later served the town as a Justice of the Peace and as a member of the Library Board.
Virginia was an avid reader and an accomplished pianist and played cello in the Crosby High School band. A yearly festive treat was when and her son played piano duets of Christmas carols. She and her husband loved classical music and the arts and they took advantage of presentations locally as well as Broadway theatricals. She accompanied her husband when he had the opportunity to make several business trips to England and Italy and Virginia became enamored with the Italian ambiance and met with many friends and family. One of her favorite pictures was her and her husband sitting on a staircase wall with the much painted twin rocks of the Isle of Capri as a background. Summers were a particular time of joy fro the Manzis at their summer home on Cape Cod, where they were surrounded by loving neighbors who became very close friends. Her favorite place in the world was the top of the cliff at White Crest Beach in Wellfleet where she could look out far over the Atlantic rolling waves and pretend to see Portugal.

Memorials: Contributions may be made to the Middlebury Library Memorial Book Fund, 30 Crest Road Middlebury, CT 06762

Cemetery: Lake Elise Cemetery

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Funeral: St. John of the Cross

Services: A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. John of the Cross Church, Middlebury on Saturday, October 31 at 10: 00 a.m. Burial will follow in the Lake Elise Cemetery, Middlebury

Visitation: Calling hours Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Southbury Funeral Home of Munson-Lovetere, 235 Main St. North.