 Guido Joseph Tino Jr., age 71 of Sherman, died November 21, 2008 at Hartford Hospital. Guido was born March 29, 1937 in Torrington, the son of the late Guido and Domenica (Boido) Tino. He attended Danbury schools and graduated from Danbury High School in 1955. After serving in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1959, he earned a B.S. from Western Connecticut State University, a M.A. from Fairfield University, and a sixth year certificate of advanced study from the University of Bridgeport. Between 1964 and his retirement in 2000, he taught in New Fairfield at Meeting House Hill Junior High School and in Danbury at Mill Ridge School, Stadley Rough School and Broadview Middle School. He also spent a year with his family in York, England from 1982 to 1983 as part of the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Guido was a soccer referee for 40 years throughout Connecticut, and also worked as a lacrosse umpire from 1988 to 1999. He was very active in the development of youth soccer in western Connecticut. He coached both the boys' and girls' varsity soccer teams at The Wooster School, then started the New Fairfield High School boys' soccer program and coached the varsity team. He also served as regional vice president for the northwest district of the Connecticut Junior Soccer Association from 1974 to 1983, and was an assistant director at the Connecticut Soccer School from 1980 to 1992. One of Guido's proudest achievements was being chosen as a soccer referee and assessor for the Special Olympics World Games held in New Haven in July 1995. A resident of Sherman since 1971, Guido made extensive contributions to the community. He founded the Sherman Soccer Club in 1974, and also the community garden near Colonial Field where the club practiced and played. He was a firefighter and EMT with the Sherman Volunteer Fire Department beginning in 1983. He was the director of adult education from 1986 to 1989. He served on the Sherman Parks & Recreation Commission for 10 years and was elected to the Zoning Board of Appeals for several terms. He was a member of the Democratic Town Committee and the Sherman Veterans Association. At the time of his passing, Guido was the director of the Office of Emergency Management for Sherman, as well as a town constable and a justice of the peace. Guido was a member of the Holy Trinity Parish in Sherman, and a member of the BPOE Lodge #120 in Danbury for 46 years. He volunteered for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of CT and at New Milford Hospital, where he also ran the stroke support group "Different Strokes." He received numerous awards over the years for his contributions to teaching, youth soccer and the local community, including the 2007 New Milford Hospital Heroes Award. Guido is survived by his wife of 40 years, Kristine Blum Tino; son, Guy and his wife, Jill of Brookfield; son, Garth and his wife, Stephanie of Riverton, Utah; grandchildren, Anna and Christopher Tino of Brookfield and Amanda, Chris and Heather Van Voorst of Riverton; sister, Annette Tomaino and her husband, Bruno of Chatham, N.J.; and nephews, Chris, Greg and Mark Tomaino. A celebration of Guido's life will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at the Holy Trinity Church in Sherman, beginning at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Guido's memory to the New Milford Hospital Emergency Room, the Hartford Hospital Neurological Intensive Care Unit, or the Make-A-Wish Foundation of CT. |