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06/29/2016 08:30 AMFor more than four decades, Ralph Gagliardi has been volunteering for a wide variety of organizations and as a civil servant. The East Haven High School (EHHS) Class of 1951 graduate will be recognized for his service in November when he will be inducted into the East Haven High School Hall of Fame with the Distinguished Graduate Award.
“It’s nice,” says Ralph. “It wasn’t expected, but I’m glad they’re doing it.”
Ralph recently attended his 65th high school reunion with 22 classmates and 10 guests.
“It was great,” says Ralph. “I saw some people I’ve only seen two or three times in the last 65 years and I saw some who I see all the time.”
After graduating from EHHS, Ralph earned an associate’s degree from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor’s degree from UConn, both in business. After serving with the U.S. Army Combat Engineers, he joined Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance in New York City as a group sales representative. Upon returning to Connecticut, he became VP of Sales for Consolidated Group Trust and later founded and served as CEO of Group Benefit Administrators of Connecticut.
“I started as a company representative, but went off on my own in the ‘70s,” says Ralph. “I started my own little agency doing employee benefits—everything I was trained to do.”
Around that time, one of Ralph’s friends, who served on the board of Teen Challenge, encouraged Ralph to get involved as well. That was the beginning of Ralph’s longtime service to the community.
Over the years, Ralph has also volunteered with the homeless shelter for St. Therese Church in Branford, where he also served on the Golf Tournament and Finance committees, and Easter Seals Camp Hemlocks for Disabled Children, where he was recognized as Volunteer of the Year. He was inducted in the UConn Foundation for his financial support of the Athletic Development Fund.
Ralph is also a 45-year member of the Lions Club. An old friend originally invited Ralph to join the New Haven Lions Club, where he served for 10 years before transferring to the Branford Lions Club, where he served as president from 2003 to 2004. He is looking forward to the club’s upcoming Oktoberfest.
“I’m still involved in all those activities,” says Ralph. “It’s a great organization that’s always trying to help other people. Plus there is a great bunch of people there so it’s social, too. Why not have fun while you’re doing it?”
Another place Ralph has fun while he volunteers is the Branford Community Dining Room, which serves the community from East Haven to Madison and beyond. He and his brother cook together once a week and “have a ball.” Ralph also enjoyed his time as a civil servant.
He and his wife Nettie moved to Branford 52 years ago and while his children were in high school in the 1970s, he—again at the request of friends—held a number of positions for the town. He served 14 years on the RTM, six years on the Board of Education, and one year as chair of the Economic Development Commission.
“Nothing can run itself,” says Ralph. “I think we did a great job. It was a well-run town. Our tax rate was beautiful, we got our projects done, we sewered the whole town, all with minimum expenses to the taxpayer and we didn’t bond a thing.”
Growing up in East Haven and spending the last 52 years in Branford, Ralph has enjoyed the area as he loves being outdoors. Some of his favorite activities included swimming, clamming, crabbing, fishing, hunting, and bike riding. He and his wife also spend a lot of time with their children, Susan and Robert, and their granddaughters Hannah, Emma, and Maria.
Now that he is semi-retired, he also enjoys golf, playing cards, and traveling. Of course, much of Ralph’s free time is dedicated to volunteering, which remains an important part of his life.
“If you’re fortunate, you should help out and put some back,” says Ralph. “You get opportunities and openings in life and certainly should be generous and give some back.”