Hartford Courant (Sunday)

Zito, Brian Francis

-

Brian Francis Zito, 71, of Wethersfie­ld, CT, beloved husband of 48 years to Sally (Archacki) Zito, passed away peacefully on July 5, 2022 with his family by his side holding his hands. Brian fought the most courageous, difficult battle against cancer for many years, never once giving up.

Brian was born in Hartford on July 19, 1950 to the late Patrick and Phyllis (Jakobot) Zito. He will always be remembered as a selfless, generous, kind, and caring person. He cherished his family more than anything in the world and valued his friendship­s with all his heart. He always felt so blessed to have friends that were like family to him. Everywhere he went, without fail, he'd know someone who would affectiona­tely call out “Hey BZ.” These unexpected run-ins would usually turn into hours of catching up. Brian served as a Connecticu­t State Marshal for approximat­ely 35 years until his retirement in September 2021. Prior to that time, he managed the Red Coach Grille in Wethersfie­ld and also was employed by Hartford Jai Alai.

Brian will be especially remembered for his sense of humor and outgoing personalit­y. He was always telling jokes and would laugh just as hard as the people he was telling them too. Beyond his sense of humor, he was the first person that his friends and family would reach out to in order to resolve a problem. No matter how difficult the task, he was able to fix anything and everything. He had a great love of theater and was a member of the Hole in the Wall Theater in New Britain for many years. He appeared in numerous production­s and acted in various venues across Connecticu­t, including the Bushnell Memorial.

Brian and Sally spent much time at their second home in St. Petersburg, FL. Brian was an avid fan of the Tampa Bay Rays and Buccaneers, but his favorite pastime was fishing with his dear friend.

Besides his wife, Brian is survived by and will be dearly missed by his most cherished daughter and son-in-law, Kimberly and Kevin Klaskin. He is also survived by his aunt, Jane Skowronek, and numerous cousins. Brian

was predecease­d by his father, Patrick, mother, Phyllis, sister, Patricia, and in-laws, Joseph and Veronica

Archacki. He was also predecease­d by his best girl, his dog Candy, in April of this year.

Brian's family would like to especially thank all of the kind and caring doctors, nurses, and support staff at UConn Health Center who treated Brian over the years and comforted both him and his family.

Brian was very devoted to St. Jude and always referred to him as “my guy.” St. Jude helped Brian through many difficult times. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

At Brian's request, there will be no calling hours. A mass of Christian burial will be held at Sacred Heart Church, 56 Hartford Ave., Old Wethersfie­ld, CT on Saturday, July 16, 2022 at 10:00 a.m., followed by a reception to celebrate Brian's life. For directions, to share a memory or view his tribute, please visit www. desopofune­ralchapel.com.

Please sign guestbook at courant.com/obituaries

 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States