AURELIA, Oliver Howard ("Ollie"), age 95, of Stratford passed away on Friday, February 5, 2021 due to age related complications.  Ollie was born on November 5, 1925 in the home that he still lived at - on Nichols Avenue in Stratford.  The old homestead was once known as the Poplar Row Farm.  His parents Michael and Marie raised Ollie during the Great Depression and he grew up as part of a small, but active farmstead.  The family raised potatoes, other vegetables and some livestock, while his father ran work crews for the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company.

Ollie attended Nichols Avenue Elementary School and graduated from Stratford High School in 1944.  He played football for Stratford High, for a short period, and always reminisced about tackling Ed Bradley and getting his nose broken.  He said it was like getting run over by a freight train.

Ollie left high school to enlist in the US Navy and fight for our country in World War II).  He became a motor machinist mate, second class on a Higgins boat.  Among his naval assignments, Ollie was stationed in Guam, near the end of World War II, readying for a land invasion of Japan's main island.  Thankfully, it never came to that.  Ollie received an honorable discharge on May 25, 1946 and received 3 World War II decorations – American Theatre Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Medal and the Victory Medal.

Upon returning home from the war, Ollie married Connie and with all of the old Italian ladies counting the month/days – they had their first child, Lucille.  Lucille soon had a brother – Oliver and the Aurelia family was in full bloom.  The family enjoyed an active and typical post-war life.  Unfortunately, young Oliver became sick with bone cancer and passed away after a short, 3-month long illness, at 8 years old.  Brother Ollie is missed dearly, to this day.

Ollie and Connie decided to have more children and Paul and Ralph came along.  With the boys, Ollie was a Bronco league baseball volunteer, ran the Indian Guide Pawnee tribe with his good friend Stanley Shandrowski, he helped out with cub/boy scouts and helped coach the Dock - Babe Ruth baseball team to a league championship.  Ollie enjoyed picnics and gatherings with his friends and family.  Playing horseshoes was always a staple and beating the Hetzels, alongside Frankie Mastroni - was a great memory.  He loved liver, bacon and onions and raw cherrystone clams, so the annual Republican town committee picnic, was one of his favorites.  Ollie enjoyed vacationing with Connie and the family and a regular stop was Breezy Knolls Resort in the Catskills with the Tranberg family.

Ollie loved fishing and had many outdoor adventures – from capsizing a row boat in the mouth of the Housatonic River with Mr. Plucinski, nighttime fishing for schools of rainbow trout in the Pomperaug River; catching buckets of snapper blues with his boys; fishing for brook trout in Maine out of Paul's cabin; visiting Club Scott in Canada with Paul and being guided by Perry; fly-in fishing in Northern Quebec with Ralph and grandson Oliver – catching native brook trout, feeding "bird" the arctic tern and almost burning the remote cabin down; recently fishing and limiting out on brook trout and landlocked salmon in Maine with his grandson Nolan; and fishing the Salmon River in NY for steelhead and opening a bagged snake while wading in the river.  He thought that Johnny Goodrich was giving him a sandwich!  There were so many more fun times.

In later life, he became the family designated travel partner and spent many a time visiting with new friends and eating meals all over the Northeast and Canada.  From the Rutherford's sugar house in upstate NY, to the Gould's Sugarhouse Restaurant in Massachusetts (for pancakes), to Moose Alley in Errol, Maine and many other spots off of the beaten path.  Ollie was always good hearted and made many a waitress or restaurant owner smile or laugh. In his last few years, Ollie would spend time in northern Massachusetts enjoying his sons' properties and hanging with the local folks – Dave, Nate, Craig and Tom at the "Doll House" with Ralph and Stacey. He never passed up a beach tour with his daughter Lucille and they always stopped by the Cricket for a long dog with the works.  He was such a great co-pilot!

Until recently, he enjoyed egg sandwiches every Sunday with his daughter in law Terry and was treated to his daughter in law Stacey's wonderful cooking nearly every other day.  Ollie's favorite foods included scrambled eggs, pig's feet in tomato sauce, lobster and a nice piece of bone-in prime rib. The lobster and the prime rib bones – they never stood a chance.

Grandpa Ollie loved and, thoroughly, enjoyed all of his grandchildren and supported them in their sporting, civic and social endeavors.   He was especially proud of their academic achievements, careers and athletic accomplishments.

Ollie was a licensed plumber and steamfitter and was part of Union Local 173 and earlier worked for his big brother Sal - at Luciano Plumbing.  His more notable jobs included the People's United Bank building in Bridgeport, the Bridgeport powerhouse, the paper mill in Jay, Maine and the L'Ambiance Plaza – which collapsed on his day off – when he went to visit his sick sister in law - Grace.  Ollie could fix anything and even received (and accepted) a box of wiffle balls in payment, for some plumbing work, from a family in need.  In retirement, he worked at Shannon's Family Market, spent time as the Eli Whitney crossing guard and prepared roast beef and pork sandwiches at the Old Stratford Ale House (with Connie) – while enjoying an occasional scotch with his friends.  Ollie was member of VFW Post 940 – Raymond T. Goldbach Post, the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus and was a loyal parishioner at Our Lady of Grace Church.

Ollie was predeceased by his parents – Michael and Marie (Mastroni) Aurelia; his sisters – Lucille and Philomena; his brothers – Sal, Mickey and Jim; his beloved son – Oliver; and most of his contemporaries and older relatives.  Ollie is survived by his daughter - Lucille Hetzel and two sons – Paul (and wife – Terry) and Ralph (and wife – Stacey) Aurelia.  He is, also, survived by his grandchildren – Stephanie Snell (and her husband – Craig), Anna Beaudry (and her husband – Jeremy), Gina Johnson (and her husband Michael), Oliver Aurelia (and his wife Samantha), Paige Aurelia (who followed her grandfather's footsteps into the US Navy) and Nolan Aurelia.  Ollie, also, adored his great-grandchildren – Patrick, Melanie, Matthew and Ceci and is expecting 2 more great grandchildren from Gina/Mike and from Oliver/Samantha.  Ollie has many surviving nieces and nephews, along with younger generation, family friends.  He is thought of fondly by all.  He loved his pets and family members' pets – especially, his dog Sandy (who will be resting with him).

Lastly, Ollie had a life to be celebrated.  He'll be greatly missed, but his legacy, will carry on.  His family is planning to have small gatherings this summer, at the homestead, in Ollie's memory sharing stories, pictures and laughs. Some fun memories – going to Madison Square Garden to see Boom Boom Mancini fight; Ollie's world famous donkey kick at Rangeley Lake; being visited by a shirtless and shoeless Stevie Bednar at 3:00 AM at the diner; his infamous method for catching his horse Tony; his love for and use of duct tape; the mystery of what happened to our ducks Ike and Mike; arm wrestling Grandma Antoinette; and so many more will all be on the table!

There will be a private memorial service for Ollie on Wednesday – February 10 ^th at Adzima Funeral Home (unfortunately – invite only) and the interment will be at Lawncroft Cemetery in Fairfield at 11:30 AM – which will also be private.  The Aurelia family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations in Ollie's memory be made to St. Jude's Hospital or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Adzima Funeral Home.