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08/17/2016 08:30 AMWhen George Papuga was eight, his father would take him down the road from their new house to visit the Shore Line Trolley Museum. Just two years later, George began visiting the museum on his own, helping wherever he could.
“It’s nice being one of the last to remember the trolleys,” says George of the museum. “Once I was 10, I was down there all the time and I started working on projects and getting into learning how to restore trolleys.”
Now George,, a lifelong East Haven resident, has been volunteering at the Trolley Museum for 63 years, not only learning a variety of things along the way like working with hand tools and woodworking, but gaining friendships as well.
“It was a nice environment that taught me a lot of things,” says George. “I enjoy being around people. When I was young, I got attached to fellows at the trolley museum and they tolerated me and it was the start of a whole new family. It was closer than family.”
George will be recognized for his longtime volunteerism at the 2016 Merit Award dinner. The annual Merit Awards recognize East Haven residents who have made contributions for the betterment of the town. The awards dinner is Thursday, Sept. 8 and kicks off the Fall Festival weekend, which is Friday, Sept. 9 to Sunday, Sept. 11. Other honorees include Linda Hennessey and Adele and Joseph Sicignano.
“It’s nice the town does something like this,” says George. “I feel honored. You figure you’d been doing something most of your life and I was never expecting it.”
Growing up, another thing George never expected was that his volunteering would lead to his lifelong career. After spending time in the service, he came home with a goal of becoming a state trooper, but a fellow volunteer asked if he would be interested in working for the railroad. He worked for there for 39 years, retiring in 2003.
“I slid right into that job and had a great career,” says George. “I never really had a job, I only had hobbies—the railroad was my hobby and they paid me for it. I never had a bad day and enjoyed going to my hobbies every day. Like a magnet, I was drawn into the railroad. It’s been a great life.”
Volunteering at the Trolley Museum and working on the railroad went hand in hand, with George bringing knowledge learned at one “hobby” to the other. He has enjoyed sharing his passion for the Trolley Museum over the years and loves seeing visitors enjoy it.
“The area is owned by the wetlands, the land trust, and us so we’re preserving something that just isn’t around anymore,” says George. “It’s one of the oldest continuously running suburban trolley lines in country. It’s nice to step back, go through woodlands, and see how things were in the old days. A lot of people have a good time when they visit.”
George isn’t the only one in his family who volunteers at the museum. He’ll celebrate his 40th anniversary this November with his wife, Sandra, who also volunteers, particularly during special events. During the holidays, there are visits with the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus, but one of George’s favorites is the Haunted Trolley at Halloween.
“It is just fantastic. There is a fine group of people already working to get things ready for October,” says George. “If you wanted to get scared out of your wits, that’s the place to go.”
George has three children and four grandchildren. Some of his favorite times are when his family volunteers together at the museum.
“It’s nice to get out of the house, get away from the TV, and go somewhere you can do different things,” says George. “It brings things out that you’re not used to doing and it’s fun to work together. Everyone still learns something, too.”
When George isn’t volunteering or spending time with family, he enjoys running, a sport he took up in his 30s. He began with road races when they were only first being introduced in the area and over the past four decades, George has run 44 marathons, running his last one in 2007. Now 73, George still runs three to four times a week and hopes to complete long races in the future.
“I’d like to do a half [marathon]. I can’t imagine this old body would be up for a full marathon,” says George, laughing. “Staying active has really kept me in shape. You’ve got to get up and keep moving.”
Between family, running, and volunteering, George is certainly on the move. He notes that the museum is always looking for more volunteers and he loves when the high school students choose volunteering there for their community service hours.
“Sometimes there’s a shortage of help, but you do your best to keep it going and get new people involved,” says George. “I’ve put so much time into my hobbies that I just can’t walk away. A lot of people donate money, but I gave them my life.”
Tickets for the Merit Award Dinner, which is Thursday, Sept. 8 at the Country House Restaurant, are available at the Mayor’s Office.