MONROE, Conn. — Those who knew Debra Z. Dragonetti remember her friendly demeanor, strong work ethic and care for her community and its public schools. A devoted member of St. Jude Church, who loved her family, Dragonetti passed away on Jan. 16 at age 66.
Dragonetti and Joseph, her husband of 39 years, raised their three children, Joseph, Laura and Julie in Monroe, and had two grandchildren, Nehemiah and Tyler. She used to work in the Finance Department of Monroe Town Hall and was active in Democratic Party politics, volunteering her time for political campaigns. She had also served on the Board of Finance.
“I’ve known Debbie since our children were in school together,” said Dee Dee Martin, a Democrat who had served on the Town Council for many years. “She was a kind, gentle person, smart and unassuming. She was my go to numbers person when she served on the Board of Finance and I loved seeing the world through her eyes, from her garden flowers to her hikes around Connecticut. She will be missed. The best homage to a lovely friend.”
Though she was active with the Democratic Party in town, Dragonetti was respected across the political aisle.
Elizabeth Edgerton, a former Board of Education member and former chair of the Monroe Republican Town Committee, remembers interacting with Dragonetti over the years. She said she was saddened to hear of Dragonetti’s passing before Sunday Mass at St. Jude, a church both women attended.
“I always found her to be passionate about the town, about students and education — and making sure things were done right,” Edgerton said. “She was a devoted Catholic and a very active participant at St. Jude. She was always nice to me, always fair as a political opponent. She was a very lovely woman.”
Anita Flynn:
Superintendent Joseph Kobza remembers Dragonetti for her involvement in Monroe’s public schools.
“While her kids were in school, Debbie was always present, volunteering selflessly in the Monroe Public Schools,” Kobza said Monday. “Our time crossed mostly at Masuk where she always gave of herself to provide students with meaningful curricular and extra-curricular activities.”
‘You could always count on Debbie’
Susan Koneff, a retired Monroe teacher and the town’s former Democratic registrar of voters, had worked with Dragonetti at Monroe Town Hall.
“She was such a wonderful person,” Koneff said. “She did so much helping to elect people. She was a wonderful supporter in the Democratic Party. You could always count on Debbie. She was always there when help was needed. She was a real worker. She’s always been the number one volunteer, always helping and very modest about her contributions to things. She did things, because she wanted to help and see programs and people succeed.”
Karen Burnaska, a former first selectman who currently serves on the Conservation and Water Resources Commission, lived close to the Dragonettis. She remembers Dragonetti as a “good hearted, friendly person who always had a smile on her face.”
“We used to see her walking her dog,” Burnaska said. “She was a wonderful town employee. It’s so sad. She had three kids. My condolences to her husband and her family. She was very active in town. She was a Democrat. a hard working dedicated reliable individual no matter what task she did, whether working for Democratic candidates, for the town and in the schools. She was just a good person.”
Patricia Paniccia, who was the longtime chair of the Monroe Democratic Town Committee, said Dragonetti used to be the DTC’s treasurer.
“That’s a tough job,” she said. “Being treasurer, you have to file all the reports, keep all the donations current and make sure no one is over donating. She followed all the rules and was steadfast in what she did.”
Paniccia said Dragonetti was always friendly and welcoming to new people, while inviting them to get involved in the party and the community at large.
“She was a great example in community service and love of the town of Monroe, love of the party and of the community,” Paniccia said. “She was always involved in the planning of things. Whenever you needed a hand and asked her, she would be there.”
To see Dragonetti’s obituary with information on her wake and funeral mass, click here.
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