CCSU Hall of Famer Ray Rondini Passes Away

Central Connecticut State University Hall of Famer Raymond Rondini '56 has passed away. He was 95.

A member of the undefeated 1954 Blue Devils football team, Rondini was inducted into the Alumni Association Hall of Fame in 2003. He received the CCSU Kaiser Alumni Service award for outstanding achievement in 1984.

Rondini was the co-captain of the 1954 and 1955 football teams and earned three letters, 1951, 1954, 1955, during his time at CCSU. Rondini went on to spend 33 years as an educator in South Windsor, where he was a football coach for six years and a golf coach for 17 years.

Obituary

Raymond Joseph Rondini, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle and friend, passed away peacefully on November 17, 2023 at New Britain General Hospital after a short time on Hospice Care. He lived to the grand age of 95 and resided for the last 60 plus years in Newington with his adoring wife Genevieve (DeAngelis) Rondini.

He was born on October 3, 1928, son to the late Frank and Elizabeth (Valentine) Rondini of New Britain. He grew up on Lester Street, engaged in family farm work and knew at an early age that he wanted to get an education and expand his life beyond farming. After graduating from New Britain High School, he attended a year of school at the Cheshire Academy to help prepare him for college. He attended Central CT State University and soon after was drafted into the US Army to serve in the Korean War. Upon return from the war, he continued his education at Central and was Captain of its football team and led the team to the 1954 undefeated season. He received both a Master's degree and a 6th year degree in Administration from the University of Hartford.

After graduating college, he became a math teacher and then a guidance counselor at Timothy Edwards Middle School in South Windsor. His passion for helping students extended to the sports arena where he was a well-loved high school golf coach for 17 years, a basketball coach for 6 years and an assistant football coach for 12 years.

His lifelong passion was the game of golf and he received three holes-in-one during his golf career and was known by many for his consistency and tenacity on and off the course. A proud accomplishment was his first place win of the prestigious New Britain Herald City Golf Tournament in 1962. He was an avid skier well into his 70's and spent many years skiing with his family on the mountains in New England and out west.

He was a huge fan of the CCSU Blue Devils and rarely missed a basketball game prior to his decline in mobility.

In 1984 he received the CCSU Kaiser Alumni Service Award for outstanding achievement and in 2003 he was inducted in the Central Connecticut State University Alumni Association Athletic Hall of fame.

He was a member of the Holy Spirit Church and had a strong Catholic faith.

Ray was well known for his everyday happiness and extreme gratitude for all his blessings in life. His family was everything to him. Even at the end, as things got much harder, he took the time to tell anyone who would listen how lucky and thankful he was for all he had, all he accomplished and for the grace of God to allow him to live to the ripe old age of 95. And for that we celebrate!

Along with his wife Ginger, he leaves his two adoring daughters, Pamela Lavery, Amy Andreana Toner and her husband Jay Toner, his three grandchildren, Raymond Lavery and wife Desiree, Samantha Grady and husband Patrick, and Robert Andreana, and four great grandchildren, Alison and Peter Grady and Evelyn and Grace Lavery and many cherished extended family members. He was predeceased by his loving son-in-law, Peter J. Lavery and his precious granddaughter Lisa Marie Andreana.

Relatives and friends are invited to call on Monday, November 27, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:00 at Duksa Family Funeral Homes at Newington Memorial, 20 Bonair Ave., Newington. His funeral service will begin on Tuesday, November 28, at 9:00 am at Newington Memorial, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am at Holy Spirit Church. He will be laid to rest with military honors in St. Mary Cemetery, New Britain. To share a memory of Raymond, please visit us at www.duksa.net.