Stephen Bresciano
Stephen Bresciano, 49, of Tolland CT, beloved husband of Karen (Poulin) Bresciano and father to Joseph and Jonathan Bresciano, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, October 17, 2020, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Stephen was born July 30, 1971 to Kathleen Mason and the late Alfred Bresciano. He grew up in Manchester, CT and graduated from Manchester High School. While working full-time, Stephen earned an associate’s degree from Manchester Community College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Science in Organizational Management at Eastern Connecticut State University. In 2002, Stephen and Karen married. Together they have made a loving life with their two sons, Joseph (17) and Jonathan (15). Stephen was a devoted father and husband. When asked what they wanted the world to know about Stephen, the boys shared that Stephen put 100% into everything he did, especially fatherhood. He was an exemplary role model of devotion to family, living with integrity, and expecting the best from himself and others. He loved smoking a cigar while making our lawn look like Yankee Stadium, sharing old movies with the boys (often when mom was not around to object), building sandcastles at the beach, hiking in Acadia National Park, spending time at the range, and creating beautiful pens on his lathe. He was funny and sarcastic, driven and humble. Stephen began his law enforcement career serving with the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections from 1994-1997. In December of 1997, Stephen was hired as a Police Officer with the Manchester Police Department. Stephen served the Town of Manchester for nearly 23 years, and held positions as a Field Training Officer, Traffic Unit Officer, and Firearms Instructor. Stephen was selected to the Capitol Region Emergency Services Team (CREST), a multi-agency tactical team, in 2003. He served as an Operator and rose to Team Leader over his 11 years with CREST and was instrumental in establishing and coordinating the Capitol Region Special Weapons and Tactics School, a basic training course for new tactical officers from across Connecticut. Stephen was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2013, leading the department's Traffic Unit from 2014-2018 and the Training Unit from 2019 until his retirement. Over the course of his career, Stephen earned many awards including the Medal for Distinguished Service (2004), Chief's Citation (2006), Medal of Valor (2011), Medal for Life Saving (2018), and Medal for Meritorious Service (2020). His colleagues describe Stephen as relentlessly striving for excellence, committed to his profession, and, of course, always vigilant. Besides his wife, Karen, and sons, Joseph and Jonathan, Stephen leaves behind his mother Kathleen Mason; family friend, Anne Jackson; his sister Amy Alleano; nephews and nieces Ralph, Daniel, Allison, Samuel, AJ, and Emma; and many cousins and extended family. Stephen and Karen would like to send a special thank you to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Hospital, especially the nurses who cared for him on Verdi and NP12 where he spent way too much time over the past four months. A memorial and prayer service celebrating Stephen’s life will be held outside on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 11:00 at Wickham Park, 1329 West Middle Turnpike, Manchester, CT. The service will include an opportunity to share stories and memories and will be followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, Stephen asked that donations to Smilow Cancer Hospital be considered.Obituary
Stephen Bresciano, 49, of Tolland CT, beloved husband of Karen (Poulin) Bresciano and father to Joseph and Jonathan Bresciano, passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, October 17, 2020, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Stephen was born July 30, 1971 to Kathleen Mason and the late Alfred Bresciano. He grew up in Manchester, CT and graduated from Manchester High School. While working full-time, Stephen earned an associate’s degree from Manchester Community College, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Science in Organizational Management at Eastern Connecticut State University. In 2002, Stephen and Karen married. Together they have made a loving life with their two sons, Joseph (17) and Jonathan (15). Stephen was a devoted father and husband. When asked what they wanted the world to know about Stephen, the boys shared that Stephen put 100% into everything he did, especially fatherhood. He was an exemplary role model of devotion to family, living with integrity, and expecting the best from himself and others. He loved smoking a cigar while making our lawn look like Yankee Stadium, sharing old movies with the boys (often when mom was not around to object), building sandcastles at the beach, hiking in Acadia National Park, spending time at the range, and creating beautiful pens on his lathe. He was funny and sarcastic, driven and humble. Stephen began his law enforcement career serving with the State of Connecticut Department of Corrections from 1994-1997. In December of 1997, Stephen was hired as a Police Officer with the Manchester Police Department. Stephen served the Town of Manchester for nearly 23 years, and held positions as a Field Training Officer, Traffic Unit Officer, and Firearms Instructor. Stephen was selected to the Capitol Region Emergency Services Team (CREST), a multi-agency tactical team, in 2003. He served as an Operator and rose to Team Leader over his 11 years with CREST and was instrumental in establishing and coordinating the Capitol Region Special Weapons and Tactics School, a basic training course for new tactical officers from across Connecticut. Stephen was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2013, leading the department's Traffic Unit from 2014-2018 and the Training Unit from 2019 until his retirement. Over the course of his career, Stephen earned many awards including the Medal for Distinguished Service (2004), Chief's Citation (2006), Medal of Valor (2011), Medal for Life Saving (2018), and Medal for Meritorious Service (2020). His colleagues describe Stephen as relentlessly striving for excellence, committed to his profession, and, of course, always vigilant. Besides his wife, Karen, and sons, Joseph and Jonathan, Stephen leaves behind his mother Kathleen Mason; family friend, Anne Jackson; his sister Amy Alleano; nephews and nieces Ralph, Daniel, Allison, Samuel, AJ, and Emma; and many cousins and extended family. Stephen and Karen would like to send a special thank you to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Hospital, especially the nurses who cared for him on Verdi and NP12 where he spent way too much time over the past four months. A memorial and prayer service celebrating Stephen’s life will be held outside on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 11:00 at Wickham Park, 1329 West Middle Turnpike, Manchester, CT. The service will include an opportunity to share stories and memories and will be followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, Stephen asked that donations to Smilow Cancer Hospital be considered.