Eunice Lasala
Education was a natural career path for Eunice Lasala, a North Carolina native whose mother, aunts, and cousins were teachers. After graduating from college, she began as a primary-grade teacher in Virginia where her husband, Anthony (her college sweetheart), was in law school. She continued teaching when the couple moved to Branford in 1966 but two years later took a leave of absence for child rearing (sons John, Edward, and Andrew), with the idea of returning to the school system, possibly as a reading consultant.
However, as new member of the Junior League of Greater New Haven, she embarked on a career of community service; and though she never returned to classroom teaching, education has remained central to her activities. She served as a docent in paleontology and prehistoric life at the Peabody for twelve years for hundreds of school children. She was also involved in the inception of Columbus House in New Haven. As a result of her work at the New Haven Colony Historical Society, Mayor Frank Logue appointed Eunice to the New Haven Visitors and Convention Board, where she chaired the 35oth Birthday Celebration of New Haven.
As a member of the Branford Women's Club, Eunice has had multiple roles as Education Chairman, Arts Chairman, and Conservation Chairman. In the latter role, she was instrumental in establishing nature trails, complete with guidebooks, at Damascus and Pine Orchard Schools. During the 1980s she co-chaired the Teen Activity Group (TAG), which organized evening activities at the Community House for our young people.
Her membership in the Branford Garden Club presented new opportunities for leadership; as a result Eunice served six years on the state board of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut and matriculated to become a Master Garden Show Judge and Gardening Consultant on the national level. Related to her Garden Club activities and her commitment to a beautiful environment, Eunice personally walked the length of the Post Road from Branford to Guilford persuading merchants to improve their premises and lending her expertise to various town projects including Harrison House, the Maureen Gustafson Playground, the Volunteer Services Center, and the Town Green Tree Project. Eunice has served as PTA president on all three levels, and her involvement with Branford schools is exemplified by her founding of the system-wide Cultural Arts Council. Some households still boast Mr. Yuk stickers on their under-sink cabinets as a result of her program to educate primary grade students about household poisons. In addition, she taught religious education classes at St. Therese Church for more than eighteen years and currently serves as a Eucharistic minister.
In 1997 Eunice became one of the founders of the Branford Compassion Club, addressing the needs of feral cats in town. Since its inception, she has personally trapped, spayed/neutered, and vaccinated almost one thousand cats and kittens. Her dream of an animal shelter in Branford is now nearing completion; and after the ribbon cutting Eunice hopes to initiate an education program joining her love of children and her love of animals-a program that will demonstrate that all of God's creatures have the right to life free from suffering, hunger, and hostility and the right to share the environment.
Among her numerous honors are Branford Review Citizen of the Year (2000), Junior League Sustainer of the Year (2000), and Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Rathborn Award (2001). Her generosity of time, talent, and commitment knows no limit, and anyone who has ever worked with her knows that "No" is not part of her vocabulary. Whenever anyone asks her to help with or head a project-large or small-her response, always with her inimitable lilt is "I'd be happy to."
However, as new member of the Junior League of Greater New Haven, she embarked on a career of community service; and though she never returned to classroom teaching, education has remained central to her activities. She served as a docent in paleontology and prehistoric life at the Peabody for twelve years for hundreds of school children. She was also involved in the inception of Columbus House in New Haven. As a result of her work at the New Haven Colony Historical Society, Mayor Frank Logue appointed Eunice to the New Haven Visitors and Convention Board, where she chaired the 35oth Birthday Celebration of New Haven.
As a member of the Branford Women's Club, Eunice has had multiple roles as Education Chairman, Arts Chairman, and Conservation Chairman. In the latter role, she was instrumental in establishing nature trails, complete with guidebooks, at Damascus and Pine Orchard Schools. During the 1980s she co-chaired the Teen Activity Group (TAG), which organized evening activities at the Community House for our young people.
Her membership in the Branford Garden Club presented new opportunities for leadership; as a result Eunice served six years on the state board of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut and matriculated to become a Master Garden Show Judge and Gardening Consultant on the national level. Related to her Garden Club activities and her commitment to a beautiful environment, Eunice personally walked the length of the Post Road from Branford to Guilford persuading merchants to improve their premises and lending her expertise to various town projects including Harrison House, the Maureen Gustafson Playground, the Volunteer Services Center, and the Town Green Tree Project. Eunice has served as PTA president on all three levels, and her involvement with Branford schools is exemplified by her founding of the system-wide Cultural Arts Council. Some households still boast Mr. Yuk stickers on their under-sink cabinets as a result of her program to educate primary grade students about household poisons. In addition, she taught religious education classes at St. Therese Church for more than eighteen years and currently serves as a Eucharistic minister.
In 1997 Eunice became one of the founders of the Branford Compassion Club, addressing the needs of feral cats in town. Since its inception, she has personally trapped, spayed/neutered, and vaccinated almost one thousand cats and kittens. Her dream of an animal shelter in Branford is now nearing completion; and after the ribbon cutting Eunice hopes to initiate an education program joining her love of children and her love of animals-a program that will demonstrate that all of God's creatures have the right to life free from suffering, hunger, and hostility and the right to share the environment.
Among her numerous honors are Branford Review Citizen of the Year (2000), Junior League Sustainer of the Year (2000), and Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Rathborn Award (2001). Her generosity of time, talent, and commitment knows no limit, and anyone who has ever worked with her knows that "No" is not part of her vocabulary. Whenever anyone asks her to help with or head a project-large or small-her response, always with her inimitable lilt is "I'd be happy to."