Op-Ed: A Tribute to the Wonderful Life of Fiz Tomaselli

[Vin Iovino was New Canaan High School’s athletic director from 1980 to 2004]

All,

There are no words that can truly soften the loss of someone as special as Fiz. I wanted to write to you and share how deeply grateful I am for her life and for the incredible impact she made on me and on our Athletic Program.

Fisina Tomaselli

Fiz was the very best of New Canaan. She was a Ram through and through — a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She loved her family deeply and spoke of them with such pride. People would often ask me what makes New Canaan so special. My answer was always the same: the people. People like Fiz. She reminded us every day what it means to be part of this community. As the song by Sister Sledge says, “We Are Family.”

For twenty-four years, Fiz stood beside me with unwavering loyalty, generosity, and heart. She helped build the New Canaan Sports Council from the very beginning, and we created a special position so she could remain on the Board forever. One of our first projects together was during my first year, when I discovered old Athletic Team pictures in the basement of Saxe Middle School. I showed them to Fiz, and together we had every picture framed and hung outside the Athletic Office.

That’s why Voting Day became my favorite day each year. I would sit in my office and listen to the “Old Timers” (a group I now proudly belong to) look at those photos and share their memories with pride. That is what New Canaan is all about — tradition.

Fiz had many accomplishments, but she will always be remembered for what she meant to the Ice Hockey Program and the New Canaan Hall of Fame. Our vision was always to give coaches the extras they needed to build their programs, and our guiding principle was equality.

On a lighter note, at the beginning of each school year, new Board members would often want to reinvent the wheel. After those meetings, Fiz and I would walk out together, exchange a smile, and she would say, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

Fiz supported our program in ways that went far beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. Her presence was constant, her encouragement genuine, and her belief in what we were building never wavered. She helped shape the spirit of New Canaan, and her fingerprints are forever on the success and memories we created together.

On a personal level, Fiz was my dear friend, and I loved her. It may have helped that I’m Italian. The first time I met her, she whispered in my ear, “I’m glad they hired an Italian.” The very next year, when Lou Marinelli was hired as Football Coach, her excitement was priceless. She said to me, “Way to go, Vincenzo.”

The one ongoing debate we had was whether it’s called gravy or sauce. If you’re Italian, you understand. According to Fiz — without question — it was gravy.

Her kindness, humor, and strength will stay with me forever. While the world feels quieter without her, Heaven has surely gained an angel. Her legacy of generosity, loyalty, and love will live on.

To the Tomaselli family, please know you are in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for sharing Fiz with all of us for so many years.

The final image I will always carry is from Bo’s first year as Coach, after the FCIAC Ice Hockey Championship. The entire team skated to the corner of the rink where Fiz and Larry always watched the games and lifted the trophy high above their heads in tribute.

That is how I will always remember the Tomaselli name.

I love you all.

Vin