Andrew Sokoli

NAUGATUCK- Mr. Andrew Alexander Sokoli, 94, of Naugatuck, passed away early Sunday morning, Nov. 21, 2010 at the Waterbury Hospital, surrounded by his family. He was the husband of the late Emma (Pudem) Sokoli, "his beautiful lady in the yellow coat" who passed away in 1997 after 57 years of marriage.

Mr. Sokoli was born in Edgewater, NJ, June 3, 1916, a son of the late Alexander and Pauline (Paraska) Sokoli and had been a Naugatuck resident since 1940, moving here from Seymour. He graduated from Seymour High School in 1934 and from Post Junior College in 1952. He was a U.S. Army veteran of WW II, serving in Germany, France and England as a Staff Sargent with Co. B, 388th Division of the Military Police. He was employed as a Property Accountant with Uniroyal-Chemical Division, retiring in 1979 after 42 years of service.

He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church since 1940, having served as a former Trustee and Usher. He was a member of Post 1946, Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a Disable Veteran. He was an avid gardener, sharing his vegetables and his Dahlias with his family and friends. He enjoyed fishing, especially at Moosehead Lake in Maine. He also loved sports, and was a fan of the Boston Red Sox, the New England Patriots, and UCONN. He always had a joke or a war story for everyone.

He leaves, his children; a son, Terry Sokoli and his wife June, a daughter, Laurie (Lauren) Zitzmann and her husband George all of Naugatuck; one sister, Olga Uhelsky and her husband Joe of Seymour; one Brother-in-law, Harry Zawyer of Naugatuck; 2 granddaughters, Mary (Sokoli) Figueroa and her husband Ed of Barrington, RI and Kathleen (Sokoli) Lewis and her husband Corey of Swampscott, MA; 4 great-grandsons, Michael Figueroa, Nicholas Figueroa, Maxwell Lewis, and Zachary Lewis and several nieces and nephews. He also leaves his faithful pets, Trucker and Goldie and special friends who always made him laugh; Cheri Amodeo, Mary Bogis, Carol Calo, and his breakfast friends at the Maples. The family is especially thankful for his special friend and caregiver, Edith Green. He was predeceased by one brother, Walter Sokoli, three sister; Anne Sokoli, Mrs. Harry (Tess) Zawyer, and Mrs. Joe (Helen) Ducharme.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday Nov. 27th at 11:00 am at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 350 Millville Ave. Military honors will be accorded outside the church following the memorial service. There are no calling hours. The Alderson Funeral Home of Naugatuck, 201 Meadow St. is in charge of arrangements In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul's Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 350 Millville Ave. Naugatuck, 06770-3711 or to the Fox Memorial Clinic at the Conn. Humane Society, 701 Russell Rd., Newington, 06111-1527.