Thank you!
Your support is sustaining the future of local news in our communities.

Nicholas Gandolfo Jr.

Nicholas Gandolfo Jr.

EAST CANAAN — Nicholas Gandolfo Jr., 94, of East Canaan, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2026, following a courageous battle with kidney cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Born and raised in East Canaan, Nick was the son of Nicholas Gandolfo Sr. and Marie Zucco Gandolfo, both Italian immigrants. He embraced his Italian heritage with great pride throughout his life.

From an early age, Nick developed a deep love for the outdoors, particularly hunting and fishing. These passions remained a source of joy and connection throughout his lifetime.

Nick proudly served his country as a United States Marine during the Korean War. During his distinguished and heroic service, he received numerous medals and citations, most notably for his actions during the Battle of the Hook, where he helped save members of his platoon despite sustaining injuries himself. His courage, selflessness, and unwavering commitment to others defined not only his military service but also the way he lived his life.

A devoted advocate for veterans, Nick was actively involved with the Marine Corps League, where he helped establish a scholarship fund. He was also a dedicated member of the Canaan Couch-Pipa VFW, through which he provided durable medical equipment—and often Girl Scout cookies—to veterans living in VA homes and hospitals, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. His generosity extended far beyond the veteran community. Nick was known for supporting numerous charitable causes and serving those in need, including helping provide Thanksgiving dinners to local families.

Nick also dedicated 25 years of service as a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Canaan, further demonstrating his lifelong commitment to helping others.

He will be remembered for his quick wit, spirited personality, and unmistakable charm. A shameless flirt, Nick delighted in competing with his friends to see who could collect the most hugs at any social gathering. Thanks to his warmth and charisma, he almost always won..

He leaves behind his loving daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his brother, many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and countless friends.

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the staff of East Mountain House, Geer, Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association, and the Winsted Veterans Affairs office, for their compassionate care and support.

Private wake and burial services will be held for the family. Friends and loved ones are warmly invited to attend a Celebration of Life on June 20, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Canaan Couch-Pipa VFW.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to East Mountain House, P.O. Box 1405, Lakeville, CT 06039.

Nick spent his final days at East Mountain House, surrounded not only by his family but also by an extraordinary team of caregivers who provided exceptional comfort, dignity, and support. His family will be forever grateful for the kindness and compassion shown to him during his final journey.

Latest News

Legal Notices - July 9, 2026

Legal Notices - July 9, 2026

Legal Notice

Notice of Formation of Kaits Kleaning LLC. Art. Of Org. filed with SSNY on 05-22-2026. Office Lo-cation: Dutchess county. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail process to: 24 Attlebury Hill Road, Standfordville NY 12581.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tenmile Distillery is making history the old-fashioned way

Cheers! The Revolutionary Whisky Series at Ten Mile Distillery, each named for a significant battle of the American Revolution, celebrates America at 250.

D.H. Callahan

In December 2024, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau officially established the Standard of Identity for American Single Malt Whisky. It was the first new classification in more than half a century, creating new possibilities for American distillers. One of the distilleries taking advantage of this new landscape is Wassaic’s Tenmile Distillery. It is well positioned to make history because Tenmile has always honored traditional whiskey-making practices.

Single malts are often associated with Scotch whisky. Perhaps that’s why, years before the new standard was adopted, Tenmile hired Shane Fraser, a Scottish master distiller with 30 years of experience at some of Scotland’s most prestigious distilleries. Fraser began designing the distillery from the ground up. Alongside owner and general manager Joel LeVangia, he emphasized time-honored traditions, favoring hands-on craftsmanship over the increasingly automated methods used by larger producers. When it comes to making the best whisky possible, Tenmile believes in learning from the past. That philosophy extends beyond the distilling process.

Keep ReadingShow less

The magic of Belinda Sinclair

The magic of Belinda Sinclair

Belinda Sinclair

Dean Chamberlain
Sinclair’s show explores the ways women have been practicing forms of magic for centuries, and there is plenty of history to tell.

Belinda Sinclair is the kind of magician who impresses people who don’t like magic. Her tricks are mind-boggling. Her stories are captivating. And if she picks you to write your name on a card, get ready to be wowed. Repeat attendees of her shows, of which there are many, take almost as much delight in watching new jaws drop as they do in seeing an illusion reach its astonishing conclusion.

Since the summer of 2025, Sinclair has been baffling local audiences at the Hughes Memorial Library in West Cornwall, but her magical run comes to a close at the end of August.

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

“Nixon in China” comes to Tanglewood

“Nixon in China” comes to Tanglewood

Renée Fleming, Andris Nelsons and Thomas Hampson.

Hilary Scott

On Friday, July 17 at 8 p.m. in the Koussevitzky Music Shed at Tanglewood, two of the greatest American voices of their generation, soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Thomas Hampson, join Music Director Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra in a performance of excerpts from John Adams’ groundbreaking opera “Nixon in China.” The piece, performed earlier this year in Boston and at Carnegie Hall in New York City, is a highlight of a program that also includes “Meditations on Grace” (2024) by BSO Composer Chair Carlos Simon, and the melodic and technically demanding Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber.

Fleming is internationally celebrated for her vocal and dramatic artistry, as well as for her advocacy for the powerful impact of the creative arts in health. Hampson has long been recognized as one of the most innovative musicians of our time and has received countless international honors for his singular artistry and cultural leadership. Both performed in “Nixon in China” earlier this year at the Paris Opera under the baton of Kent Nagano.

Keep ReadingShow less
Local playwright revisits Revolutionary moment in “Rebel Town”

The cast and crew of “Rebeltown: The Musical.”

Jack Sheedy

John Alan Segalla was working in Boston a few years ago, giving historic tours at the site of the Boston Tea Party. Now, as America celebrates 250 years as a nation, the Canaan native is about to debut a new version of his original musical, “Rebel Town,” inspired largely by the Boston Tea Party, the protest that helped launch the American Revolution.

“It wasn’t until I got to Boston and learned the Tea Party story that I fell in love with this moment in history, and I saw the story as wildly compelling and very important, and really a story that was very misunderstood, mistaught in schools,” Segalla said at a recent rehearsal in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, ahead of the show’s July 10 opening.

Keep ReadingShow less
An invitation to paint a community mural in Torrington

Community mural design by Macayla Muzzulin will be painted by volunteers on July 11 in Franklin Plaza in Torrington.

Provided

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, Five Points Arts in Torrington will host a community mural project celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary. Volunteers of every age and artistic ability are invited to help paint a 20-by-6-foot mural designed by artist Macayla Muzzulin. The mural will be completed in one day, transformed from a numbered outline into a permanent public artwork along the river in downtown Torrington.

“We firmly believe art is for everyone,” said Five Points founder and executive director, Judith McElhone. “It’s so great to be able to do this with such talent, and with Launchpad artists, volunteers and staff there to help.”

Keep ReadingShow less
google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.

google preferred source

Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.