Obituary of William Villa

Long time and beloved Glastonbury resident, William Villa, died peacefully with his daughter, Patricia, at his bedside on Sunday, January 6, 2013. An early entrepreneur, William began delivering hay to local farmers as soon as he could drive. At 18, he began a box delivery service, transporting boxes from Connecticut to New York. In 1935, he married his beloved wife Anna and together, in 1941, they purchased Pilgard's Orchard in Glastonbury, CT. William and Anna started out selling their fruit to well known pie companies like Frisbie and to other farmers for resale. They opened a roadside stand bringing their award winning apples, peaches, pears and plums to local residents and lucky passersby. Soon, a fall drive down New London Turnpike required a stop at "the stand" which proudly displayed three large apples proclaiming the health benefits of the fruit. Katherine Hepburn and Governor Ribicoff were among the celebrities that had the fortune of enjoying William's prize-winning fruit. In the midst of his busy life as an orchard farmer and fruit purveyor, William pioneered Sunset Acres, at Bashan Lake. For generations, the private vacation community has given families access to the crystal clear waters of Bashan lake and vacation memories that will be treasured their whole lives. In his free time, William was an avid angler whose skill so impressed the Red Bank Band of First Nations from New Brunswick, Canada, that in May of 1968, he was made an honorary chief. Three years later on a return trip to New Brunswick, William caught a 21.7-pound , 42 inch salmon; the biggest one caught that year, reinforcing his skill to the tribe. William retired at 57 years old, but was never one to rest. A Wallstreet Journal article on the benefits of bottle collecting intrigued him and started him on his way to a new career and passion: collecting and selling antique bottles. Together, William and Anna dug through history for old bottles. Their impressive collection and their extensive knowledge of antique bottles won them a highly respected reputation in the bottle collecting community. William and Anna ended their celebrated life together by enjoying each other's company and frequent visits to the Moheagn Sun. They are joyfully reunited today. William is survived by his daughter, Patricia Marra and her husband Alphonse of Fairfax, VA; his granddaughters, Michele and her husband Albert Mann of Laguna Niguel, CA; Beth Marra and her husband Kevin Ramey of Centreville, VA; his great grandchildren Michael and Kaelie Mann. The last of 12 siblings, William was also predeceased by his wife Anna (Yetishefsky); his parents Biaggio and Mary Jane Villa; His son, William Villa Jr.; his daughter, Judith Villa, and his grandson, John Boothroyd, Jr. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, January 10, at 12 noon at St. Paul Church, 2577 Main St. Glastonbury. Burial will follow in Linwood Cemetery in Colchester. Friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury on Wednesday Jan. 9, from 6-8pm. For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.