Bobby Valentine (Photography: Max Aureli Photography)
The 2010 Stamford Citizen of the Year is none other than Bobby Valentine.
As the tradition goes, every year the new citizen of the year learns about their selection when they are ambushed somewhere in Stamford and told about their new title.
Friday morning, Bobby Valentine had an appointment at the Stamford Mayor's office and was left speechless when he was told that the real reason for the meeting was his selection for this high honor.
Somehow prophetic, Stamford Plus had Bobby Valentine as its cover story in its current Winter 2010 issue, labeling him Stamford's Hometown legend.
June Rosenthal, the Chairman of the Selection Committee for this year's Stamford Citizen of the Year and former Citizen of the Year herself, is happy to have Bobby in this exclusive club of outstanding Stamfordites.
"He is a wonderful recipient for this honor. He's been in Stamford forever very Stamford minded and he does a lot for a lot of organizations," said June about the new award recipient.
The 2009 Stamford Citizen of the Year was Pitney Bowes' Juanita James.
The award, along with high school scholarships to select area students, is usually given at a ceremony in May.
The award is given annually by Post 142, Jewish War Veterans of the United States since the award’s inception in 1945.
PAST STAMFORD CITIZEN OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS
1945 Father John Kelley
1946 C. Russell Waterbury
1947 Rabbi David W. Pearlman
1948 Rev. Lloyd F. Worley
1949 Walter H. Wheeler, Jr.
1950 Benjamin Bogin
1951 Sarah F. Smith
1952 Norris E. Pierson
1953 Gibbs Lyons
1954 Jean Ware Hoyt
1955 Harold E. Rider
1956 Pat Marshall
1957 Harry Rosenbaum
1958 Joseph E. Morrow
1959 Rev. Donald F. Campbell
1960 J. Walter Kennedy
1961 Walter Thayer
1962 Thomas C. Mayers
1963 T. Carter Dodd
1964 Rev. Russell McGown
1965 Doris Kirschbaum
1966 John F. Cameron
1967 Herbert B. Kohn
1968 Dr. Peter Goldmark
1969 Thomas J. Feeney
1970 Rev. Cyrill S. Peters
1971 Dr. Angelo Mastrangelo, Jr
1972 John O. Nicklis
1973 Charles A. Ukkerd
1974 Alphonsus J. Donahue, Jr.
1975 Louis Lotstein
1976 Lillian Moran
1977 Tony P. Pia
1978 Pobie Johnston
1979 Edith Sherman
1980 Fred T. Allen
1981 Wayne L. Tyson
1982 Christel Truglia
1983 Julius M. Wilensky
1984 Joseph F. Fahey
1985 Sylvia Rosenfield
1986 Frank D. Rich, Jr.
1987 S. Beatrice Foreman
1988 Norman T. Woodbury
1989 Jane F. Norgren
1990 John T. D. Rich
1990 Elizabeth P. Rich
1991 Lynne R. Laitman
1992 Charles A Guinta
1993 Charles C. Judd
1993 Jane M. Judd
1994 John A. Ball
1995 Michael J. Cacace
1996 George B. Harvey
1998 Adele Gordon
1999 Polly O’Brien
2000 Len Miller
2001 Sam Cingari
2002 Rev. Winton M. Hill III
2003 Marc Lyons
2004 Rick Robustelli
2005 Sandy Goldstein
2006 Al Sanseverino
2007 June Rosenthal
2008 Richard Taber
2009 Juanita James
