Longtime Director Of

Nunnawauk Meadows Retires

By Nancy K. Crevier

The elderly have always been a population of concern to him, said Nunnawauk Meadows Director Frank R. DeLucia. So it was important to him when serving as Newtown’s first selectman, from 1972 to 1976, to see that programs were put in place that would make life for senior citizens more manageable, and it has been his goal since 1979, when he took on the role of director at the then-three-year-old independent living facility, to continue with that philosophy.

On April 1, after 34 years, Mr DeLucia will hand over the direction of Nunnawauk Meadows to a new director, to be named March 29. It is time, said Mr DeLucia, and he will leave knowing that the Nunnawauk community, the first housing program in Newtown, is in a position to carry on successfully into the future.

“I have a tremendous staff,” he said. “The people I work with are very dedicated, and maintenance does a fantastic job. I will miss them, and the board of directors. I’ve made some very good friends on the board over the years,” Mr DeLucia said, Friday, March 18.

By establishing the Commission on Aging during his term as first selectman, as well as the committee that eventually became the Housing for Elderly, said Mr DeLucia, the path was paved to support a housing program like Nunnawauk Meadows.

“At the time, you could go with either a State of Connecticut project or a Housing and Urban Development program, both of which would have required a housing authority to be established,” he said, an unpopular option due to the power it would wield separately from town government.

“I learned about what was then called the Farmer’s Home Administration program, though, that provided loan money for town projects. I was told that they had money for housing, as well, so we looked into it, looked at a project being built near Hartford with FHA money and we liked what we saw,” he recalled of the fledgling idea for elderly housing in Newtown.

The beauty of the FHA funds, while a loan rather than a grant, was that the town could manage the project.

The facility of 40 units opened its doors to residents in 1976 on a 20-acre plot of land, and it was the following year, after his term as first selectman was completed, that Mr DeLucia joined the Nunnawauk Meadows board of directors. In 1979, he took over as administrator, working closely with assistant administrator Peg Forbell. That was also the time when Nunnawauk Meadows switched from outside management to inside management.

“We saw that if we managed ourselves, we could give better service to the people who live here,” Mr DeLucia said.

“He was a good administrator. We worked together very well for years,” said Ms Forbell, who was with Nunnawauk Meadows for 12 years. Prior to that, she had served on the board of directors with Mr DeLucia. “He deserves some good retirement time,” said Ms Forbell.

 “[The Nunnawauk Meadows project] opened doors on a hot meal program in town, which we still offer here, seven days of the week,” Mr DeLucia said. By 1979, another 40 units were in progress, and today Nunnawauk provides housing in 134 units. The community has been successful in part, said Mr DeLucia, because of cooperation between the Nunnawauk Meadows board of directors and the town.

“Because I was an official in town, I knew a community like this has to maintain a high level of excellence. That’s what Newtown is about. [Nunnawauk Meadows] is very much a part of the town. There are no politics here,” he said.

As director of the facility, Mr DeLucia’s responsibilities encompassed certification processes, fiscal and physical planning and budgeting, providing a management plan, and serving as personnel director. It was up to him to know the laws for housing and staff, and to stay current with changing laws. “Basically, I have been overseeing all that keeps the standards of Nunnawauk Meadows high. I try to reflect what will be best for the residents and meet their expectations, all the while, staying within a budget,” Mr DeLucia said.

The greatest reward he has found as director of the facility, said Mr DeLucia, is simply in knowing that Nunnawauk Meadows provides a place where low- and moderate-income elderly can live independently.

“What’s been nice, too,” he said, “is that we provide services now that allow them to live here independently even longer.”

Those services include on-site social service workers who assist with rental and fuel assistance applications, a congregate program allowing assessment by Western Connecticut Agency on Aging staff to help residents plan for special short-term needs, such as following a stay in the hospital, and with setting up affordable cost plans. The hot meal plan continues to be popular with residents, and a few elderly from outside the Nunnawauk community.

Along with the housing, the Nunnawauk Meadows property has grown to 65 acres, thanks to 45 acres donated to the facility by the State of Connecticut when Fairfield Hills Hospital closed, and other properties on the site have expanded as well. From a small central gathering room with a tiny kitchen, the Community Room has added on two wings over the years. A bright, table-filled area is adjacent to the updated commercial kitchen and is capable of hosting private gatherings for residents’ celebrations, as well as providing space for outside program to come in. Another expansion to the Community Room enlarged the gathering hall, and added staff office space.

Mr DeLucia’s eyes light up, though, when he talks about the most recent addition, four years ago, that added 14 new housing units adjoined to the Community Room, and accessed through a private library stocked with books, videos, and computers; as well as a compact beauty salon open one day each week, an exercise room equipped with donated fitness machines, and a craft room for art activities.

All of these can be accessed by residents in the newest housing without ever stepping foot outdoors, making it possible for those who cannot easily get around to remain living independently. “It’s that much longer now, for some, before they have to consider a nursing home,” said Mr DeLucia.

He will miss the challenges of the job, and the problem solving on which he thrives, he said. “I am definitely going to miss this. No matter when you leave a job, it’s hard,” Mr DeLucia said.

“We are really sorry to see Frank retire,” said Bernie Curran, president of Nunnawauk Meadows’ board of directors. “He’s done an outstanding job. When you get feedback from the people who live here, you realize it’s a special place to live. The influence of Frank on the staff and maintenance comes through loud and clear. They are so attentive to the residents, and it wouldn’t be this way if it wasn’t for Frank’s presence, all of these years,” said Mr Curran.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Frank on the board,” said Linda Manganaro, treasurer and past president of the board of directors. “Frank is a wonderful person, and has been an advocate for Nunnawauk Meadows and the people there these past 33 years. He has a vast knowledge of the town and town activities that helps him run the place, and a lot of knowledge that makes him valuable. He’s always looking out for what’s best for Nunnawauk,” she said.

Retirement will give Mr DeLucia time to fit in a little more golfing and a lot more time visiting relatives and his grandchildren, he said, but he hopes to remain active in town affairs, as well. “I’ll be active in the community, somehow,” said Mr DeLucia, and he plans to be available to the incoming Nunnawauk Meadows director, as well, for two or three months.

“There’s a lot to know about the complex, and I wanted a smooth transition to the next person,” said Mr DeLucia. “It has been a good place to be.”