The Journey of a Lifetime
This is a collection of photographs scanned from Gerry’s photo albums and school yearbooks, with best effort made to arrange them in chronological order.
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The early years
Zampiello family photos in and around Hamden, Connecticut
Gerry’s Confirmation
An important event in young Geraldine’s life, attended by her parents and brother Richard Zampiello.
Elementary school years
Gerry was close to her younger cousin John Vanacore (the last three photos).
The high school years
Have a look at Gerry’s expression the time she interviewed a young actor named Robert Wagner for a Hamden High School publication (toward the bottom of this series).
College years
Gerry attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts for two years before transferring to the New Haven State Teachers College in Connecticut.
The Graduate
Gerry graduated from the New Haven State Teachers College (later named Southern Connecticut State University), and would go on to Harvard University to earn a Master of Teaching Arts degree in English. Through her life as a student and later as a teacher, education always had great meaning in her life.
Gerry’s family
The Zampiello’s would get together on many occasions through the years
Well dressed and stylish
Gerry was comfortable with herself and the world.
Around Hamden and New Haven
Mom, Dad, Richard, Helen, John, and Sloopy
The teacher
Photos of Gerry at Darien High School
Zampiello family times
Gerry spoke about her family gatherings over the years often
Close to her Dad and Mom
Gerry encouraged her father to write down his memories of growing up in New Haven. He liked the idea and he wrote about how he met her mother Louise, the story of their honeymoon, and the jobs he had and the places they lived in New Haven.
She enjoyed hearing the story he wrote about the birth of Gerry’s older brother Richard and especially perked up when it came to the part of her own arrival into the world in 1936, three years after Dick was born. Gerry was close with her brother Richard and sister-in-law Helen, even traveling with them to Italy, which was quite an adventure.
At home in Westport
Gerry enjoyed her days at home, reading the NY Times in the morning, having black coffee, listening to the radio, guitar jazz music, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, keeping an eye on the weather, and having friends over to visit.
Sunrise Senior Living
Gerry knew there would come a time when she couldn’t live at home anymore… after much research, we found a first-class place in Fairfield where she would be comfortable, safe, warm, and wouldn’t be alone. She had a companion/aide with her fourteen hours a day…