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- Category: Past Issues
By Ron P. Coderre
Pandely Gity died in Laguna Woods, Calif., Aug. 18, where he and his wife Mary were spending time with their son Daniel. He was 90 years old. The news of his death only recently reached northeastern Connecticut and his hometown of N. Grosvenordale.
I first met Pandely Gity when I was a baseball umpire on the Eastern Board of Approved Baseball Umpires and he was the coach of the Ellis Tech Eagles team. At the time, probably in the mid-1990s, I thought he was a nice gentleman filling a role as coach at the school because they were short of coaches.
It wasn’t until the past couple years that I learned more about Mr. Gity as I called him. Some of the old timers in the area have filled me in on the young Pandely Gity. According to reputable sources, during his high school and younger years, Gity was by far one of the best, if not the best, baseball and basketball player in N. Grosvenordale and surrounding communities.
According to his obituary, he went to the State Trade School in Putnam, that being what was then known as Putnam Trade School on Providence Street. There are some who think he started school at Tourtellotte Memorial High School but was part of what was the “cooperative program,” two years of high school and three years of trade school. Whatever his situation, everyone familiar with him agrees he was an outstanding athlete at Putnam Trade School.
When we met on the baseball diamond I had no inclination of what an athlete this Mr. Gity, coach of Ellis Tech baseball team had been in his heyday. We had a respectful relationship as umpire and coach. He stood up for his players, but always in a gentlemanly fashion. I’d say unofficially we started a friendship at that time.
Mr. Gity was very proud of his Romanian heritage. I vaguely remember him telling me that he was related to Dominique Moceanu, Olympic gymnast also of Romanian heritage. He was extremely proud of her 1996 Gold Medal performance in the summer Olympics.
Reading the obituary notice, my mind wandered back to our days on the ball field and chance encounters with Mr. Gity when our paths crossed occasionally in recent years. I never realized what an athlete he had been in his prime. Sometimes we just don’t know what we have until it’s taken from us.