Fine Master Infanti Roasted!
The Milford Rotary Club held a special meeting on Wednesday February 20th to roast one of its own. More than 125 Rotarians and friends came together to honor George Infanti for his many decades of “Service Above Self”. Organized by the Ladies of Table Three (Cynthia Dokmo and Betsey White) the luncheon was a tremendous success. Best of all - it was a total surprise for George!
Pastor Alice Wheeler shared a moving blessing and President Ryan Hansen got the festivities underway by naming George a 2013 Stan Powers Award recipient. With that award, as always, came a huge lobster much to George’s delight! Later in the program, George was recognized by the club as a Paul Harris Fellow – his second PHF.
Master of ceremonies, Steve Desmarais took on the role of “Judge” to weigh the evidence and determine the truth behind a recent statement made by former Rotarian Brad Galinson about Selectman Infanti:
“You are the model that we strive to become. You are a selfless individual, always a gentleman, who has a never ending commitment to others. I am not sure what our community would be without your dedication.”
Using photos and stories gathered for the event, Judge Desmarais recounted many of George’s accomplishments and escapades – selectman in three towns, successful businessman, lover of parades, member of the Milford & Company motorcycle “club”, and a person of great humor who can mix-it-up in any crowd – just to name a few of the highlights. Attendees, including Rep. Charlie Bass, Jim Infanti, Lee Mayhew, Paul Spiess and Deb Luongo, added their testimony to the evidence under consideration and successively raised the laughter quotient. No one will ever forget Lucy and "Gorgeous George"!
Through one of the law enforcement related stories, it came up that George likes to solve mysteries – he was presented with a Sherlock Holmes outfit complete with a cap, pipe and magnifying glass. It came to Cynthia’s attention that George has been referring to himself as “Rubber Band Man” reflecting his perceived ability to bend with change. Thus he received a large box of ex-large rubber bands. He also was presented with a fresh supply of the paperclips for carrying in his pocket. As George says “You never know when you’ll need one.”
Rotarian Chuck Simpson shared his observations by way of a humorous letter read by Colleen Moynihan. Chuck noted George’s ability to sell his customers twice as much paint as they needed and still maintain a 100%-plus level of customer satisfaction. He went on to note that “George always stirs things up. Quiet and calm have never been in George's realm. When he walks into a room filled with 100 strangers, he sees it as a room with filled with 100 new friends."
In the end, Judge Steve took the case under advisement. But as Jim Infanti said and as George’s friends and fellow Rotarians can attest, “George is a lot of fun to be around, and you never know what is going to happen next.” The program closed with a shout-out from the back of the room “George we love you!” that said it all.
For photos of the event click HERE