Lawrence J. DeTullio, Jr. Fund

When Lawrence (Larry) J. DeTullio, Jr. passed unexpectedly following surgery, both his mother and widow decided to honor him with a fund to benefit the citizens of his beloved City of Derby and support local organizations serving Derby youth.

Maryanne DeTullio remembered establishing the fund in her husband's name with the Valley Community Foundation (VCF), "My children were in grammar school at the time and my motherin-law had the idea to help to them and those in the community to remember their father. I knew former VCF President & CEO, Jamie Cohen, for a number of years. He was very helpful while we established this fund in my husband's memory."

Larry was a man who truly loved Derby, and his family decided that there was no better way to keep his memory alive than to work with VCF to support the people and programs he held so dear. Larry spent his entire life in Derby and dedicated his career as community development administrator to improving the quality of life for his fellow residents.

Jimmy Ryan, former President of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, held a position similar in Ansonia and remembered, "We worked closely on regional and economic strategies and became friends. Larry was at the forefront of so many important issues. He turned downtown Derby around, making sure the town and the Valley received their fair share of very scarce resources from funding agencies but his greatest gift was his ability to truly hear what people were saying. He could boil that information into effective strategies to meet people's needs. Federal, state, and local officials had great respect for him and how effective his work was. Some of his work went unseen, through residential rehab loans and grants used by property owners to make safe, suitable housing. Larry had considerable knowledge in how to administer programs."

Alan Tyma, VCF board member agreed. "Larry was down-toearth and would systematically face a problem by asking how to accomplish the goal," said Alan. "He could move the ball forward and was clearly one of the premier people in his field."

Jimmy added, "Larry had a real impact on Derby's history and the fund in his name is just part of his legacy. His family remembering him through this fund is another testament to a life well lived. When I drive through Derby, he often comes to mind as a reflection of how nice Derby is and how good its people are. He had a great vision for the future of Derby and made that a reality. He was good for the community, good to be with, a good family person, and is very dearly missed."

Maryanne said, "I've always thought VCF was wonderful and helped a lot of people. I would recommend what we did to other families. When someone passes away, a fund can help the family ensure their loved one's legacy lives on forever."