Mr. Lydia Santini

Born in Lucrezia, Italy, son of the late Luigi and Ermelinda (Cesaroni) Santini, he was a resident of Bellingham since 1949 and was formerly of Woonsocket, R.I.He came from Italy in 1927 at the age of 7.

He worked for New York Life Insurance from 1961 until retiring in 1996 with 45 years of service in sales working out of the Providence, R.I., office and his own office in Bellingham.

A communicant of the former Assumption Church, he taught CCD and confirmation classes and organized and administered the 500 Club, Parish Council, bingo, the Committee for Assumption School Building in 1961, and the first Bellingham Rescue Wagon.He was very active in Bellingham town politics.A member of the town Democratic Committee, he served on the Finance Committee, School Committee for three years and Housing Authority for 15 years and was elected to the Water Board.He was vice president of the Council on Aging and active in the Senior Center of Bellingham.He also ran for state Senate in the 1960s.

Mr. Santini was a member of the Greater Catholic Regional School Board and the Marchegiano Club in Woonsocket.Founding and charter life member of the Bellingham Lions Club, he served as president and King Lion.

He was a World War II Army veteran holding the rank of staff sergeant with the Company C 878th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion.He received the Good Conduct Medal, Victory Medal, American Theatre Campaign Ribbon, and the European African Middle Eastern Theatre Campaign Ribbon.