- Date Of Birth: December 1, 1946
- Date Of Death: October 12, 2015
- State: Connecticut
Concetta “Jenny” Contois, mother to Amy, wife to Frank, and grandmother to Jack; aunt of Maria Gallo and her husband, Michael; Aunt of Lori Paggioli and her husband, Tom; dear friend of Linda Orange and Ron Goldstein, as well as countless others; and a tremendous leader for Colchester and all of Eastern Connecticut, died on Monday, October 12th, 2015 at the age of 68.
Born December 1, 1946 in Hartford, Jenny was the daughter of the late Michael and Rose (Calabro) Napolitano. Jenny grew up in Mayberry Village, East Hartford. In 1966, she married Frank. They lived first in Hebron, then moved to Colchester in 1979 where they raised their daughter, Amy. About fifteen months ago, Amy and her husband Andrew gave Jenny and Frank perhaps the best gift possible – a grandson, Jack – who brought a smile to Jenny’s face even in her final days.
After her family, Jenny’s greatest love was her hometown of Colchester. Jenny served Colchester initially on the Board of Finance (1981-1991) and then as First Selectman (1991-2007), leading the Town and its citizens through a period of tremendous growth and change. During her years as First Selectman, Colchester was regularly cited as the fastest growing town in Connecticut, and Jenny led the Town through its growth while always respecting and maintaining its traditions and heritage. In recognition of her efforts, Jenny’s colleagues elected her President of the Connecticut Council of Small Towns.
Jenny’s accomplishments as the leader of Colchester are almost too numerous to list. A longtime member of the Colchester Democratic Town Committee, as First Selectman Jenny spearheaded the adoption of Colchester’s first Town Charter. She championed for the renovation and additions to Cragin Library and all four of Colchester’s schools (including one new school). She aggressively sought out state and federal grants to revitalize the downtown historic district. She brought about the establishment of Colchester’s Police Department and was an honorary member of the Hayward Volunteer Fire Company. Jenny was a founding member of the Colchester Learning Foundation and a strong advocate for the establishment of the Colchester Land Trust. She supported efforts to open both Colchester’s Fire Museum and the Colchester Historical Society’s building and museum. Jenny worked to form a solid partnership between the Town’s Board of Selectmen and Board of Education, and brought efficiencies to government that remain as models for good governance and cooperative problem-solving. Jenny worked with the entire Colchester community and deeply valued the bipartisan relationships she built.
In 2007, Jenny accepted the position as District Director for Congressman Joe Courtney. Jenny worked tirelessly for the 2nd Congressional District until her retirement in 2014.
