In addition, and most important to Kathie Azzariti, his widow, he was a generous father and husband.

Kathie Azzariti underwrote the John F. Azzariti Memorial Lecture, “Trulli: the wonders of Puglia, Italy,” presented by Patrizia Farina, a professor of Italian at the university.

Azzariti chose the subject to honor her husband because Puglia is the region where John’s parents were born.

Puglia, located in the heel of the Italian boot, boasts 800 miles of coast on the Adriatic Sea. The beaches are white sand and the fields are fertile with olive groves and grape vineyards. Puglia produces the majority of Italy’s olive oil and also originated the pasta known as orichiette, or “little ear.”

Kathie Azzariti said that of her husband’s many interests, he was most proud to be Italian, and his parent’s roots in Corato, Bari, in the Puglia region were a profound influence.

A wonderful ambassador for WCSU, John helped many students over the past 20 years launch their careers in accounting.  As the managing partner of the Stamford office of KPMG, John led the way in attracting the attention of major public accounting firms to the university.  He not only gave students a chance by hiring them when they graduated, but he also mentored many during their careers

John served as chairman of the board of directors of the Danbury Hospital Development Fund, and was a member of the boards of directors of The Business Council of Fairfield County, the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Stamford, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association and the Ridgewood Country Club.

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More than 100 people attended the WestConn Society Luncheon at The Matrix Convention Convention Center to honor the Yamins and raise money for the WCSU Foundation, the private fundraising organization that supports the university.

When master of ceremonies David Nurnberger introduced the Yamins to accept the Community Service Award from President James W. Schmotter, they took turns telling the audience about each other, in gently humorous terms.

“The other day the local paper referred to Dianne as a ‘high-powered woman,’ Bob Yamin said. “Now those who know Dianne, who is the most humble and self-effacing person I know, probably had to stop and think about that description. But high-powered doesn’t necessarily mean pushy or aggressive. High-powered also means influential and effective, and in that sense, Dianne is one of the most influential and effective leaders in our area.”

Dianne Yamin introduced Bob by describing his sense of humor and the fact that he shops for all of her clothes.

“Those of you that know my husband probably know him for his Yamin & Yamin pens, but he is much more than that,” Dianne said. “He has a heart of gold and he is the smartest lawyer I know.”

Both Yamins are third-generation Danburians. Bob graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 1979 at the top of his class, Summa Cum Laude, completing double majors (a BA in History and a BA in Political Science) in two years, with a 4.0 GPA.  He was then accepted at the Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree, the first Western alumnus to achieve that distinction.

Bob is the Managing Partner of the Greater Danbury Law Firm of Yamin & Yamin. Since 2002, he has also served as the city of Danbury's corporation counsel and chief legal officer.

Dianne Yamin, a graduate of Lehigh University and the Mercer University School of Law, has been elected six times as Danbury’s Judge of Probate and is routinely the highest vote-getter in municipal elections.

Dianne is a partner at Yamin & Yamin, served as President Judge of the Connecticut Probate Assembly, as chair of the Mayor’s Task Force of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness and in 2010 was elected the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce. She is a member of the advisory board for the WCSU Institution for Financial Literacy

The Yamin’s described their deep belief in helping and improving the community.

“I credit my parents for involving me in volunteerism from a very young age,” Dianne Yamin said. “I fondly remember my days at Danbury Hospital in the 1970s as a Candy Striper. Danbury is a large city, but with a very strong sense of community. The business community is incredibly philanthropic with one of the five community banks and other businesses always donating or sponsoring. The religious community is strong and individuals galore come out always for community projects and volunteering.

Bob Yamin expressed his commitment to his alma mater.

“I know you’re being tugged in a million directions these days, especially being the core givers and doers in our community, but I believe no cause you support is more important to all of us than the support of this university at this time,” he said. “And no cause you can contribute to or volunteer for in our area has a greater multiplier effect or creates more synergy than this university. It’s at the core of our culture, or economy and of course our educational community, and none of those spheres of our collective lives would be the same without a robust WestConn.”

Mayor Mark Boughton, the keynote speaker at the luncheon, discussed the rigors of governing in the 21st century.

David Nurnberger, recently retired senior vice president of human resources at Boehinger Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals and chairman of the WCSU Foundation board of directors, was the master of ceremonies.

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Joseph A. Fiorita Jr. and Robert J. Kornhaas Jr., certified public accountants and principal partners of the firm, accepted the WCSU Foundation Community Service Award at the luncheon held in the Grand Ballroom of the Westside Campus Center on the university’s Westside campus. Hosted by the WCSU Foundation, the luncheon also featured introductory remarks by university President James W. Schmotter and a keynote talk by Ancell School of Business Dean Dr. Allen Morton on “The Role of Financial Literacy in a Well-Rounded College Education.”

Founded in 1973, Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company provides a diverse range of financial services ranging from tax preparation, business accounting and audits to personal financial, retirement and estate planning, corporate mergers and acquisitions, and litigation support. As one of the leading CPA practices in the Greater Danbury area, the firm has provided career opportunities and internships over the years, helping WestConn students to gain experience and build skills in the accounting profession. Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company is a member of the WCSU Trustees’ Club and the WestConn Society, and sponsors a scholarship awarded annually to a WestConn student majoring in accounting. The firm’s partners, Fiorita and Kornhaas, participate in local and regional professional organizations, corporate boards, and activities supporting the university and the WCSU Foundation.

“Fiorita, Kornhaas and Company has long been one of the most respected professional services firms in the Danbury area,” Schmotter observed. “Through their professionalism, partnerships and philanthropy, they have made a difference — for our community, and especially for Western Connecticut State University.”

The WestConn Society represents the oldest continuous giving program sponsored by the WCSU Foundation, providing an important source of private donations to support innovative academic programs, outreach opportunities and enrichment initiatives. The goal of the WestConn Society is to sustain a critical margin of excellence to enhance students’ learning experience and invest in faculty and curriculum development.

A minimum donation to the WCSU Foundation of $250 qualifies the donor for annual membership in the WestConn Society and attendance at the March 19 luncheon. For reservations and additional information, contact David Halek of the WCSU Office of Institutional Advancement at halekd@wcsu.edu or (203) 837-8832.

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Over the past decade, the popular benefit has raised some $125,000 for the Caraluzzi Endowment, which has awarded scholarships to WestConn freshmen from the Danbury area and continuing students in the university’s Ancell School of Business. Proceeds from the annual event and generous donations from the family of Anthony and Julia Caraluzzi have enabled the university to give scholarships to more than 65 students since 2001.

The scholarship endowment was established in honor of Anthony Caraluzzi, founder of Caraluzzi’s Markets, by his son, Anthony Caraluzzi Jr., as a means to give back to the Greater Danbury community and promote business education at WCSU. Caraluzzi Jr. and his wife Roberta were honored at the 2008 University Ball for their continuing contributions to the university, including their role in organizing the Holiday Wine Tasting.

Scholarships are awarded annually to incoming WCSU freshmen who are graduates of Bethel High School or Immaculate High School in Danbury, and to WestConn juniors and seniors enrolled in the Ancell School of Business.

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Architects Robert Swain, president of Amenta/Emma Architects, and Nestor Bottino, a partner with Holzman Moss, explained some of the concepts they are developing as they design a $98 million instructional center for the school on the Westside campus.

WCSU President James W. Schmotter extolled the virtues of the SVPA and asked those in attendance to engage in WestConn’s vision to be a university with public accessibility and costs but with many attributes of the small private university.

“This is a unique opportunity to move the university forward with the arts,” Schmotter said. “The arts have an economic benefit — they bring people, money and interest to the region as well as creativity in all its manifestations. We are the only university between Purchase, N.Y., and Hartford to offer a Master of Fine Arts. It made sense to us to put our stake in the ground and say we are the university of the arts. It’s going to be a wonderful, exciting ride. We hope you will be there with us.”

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Graduates celebrating their 50th anniversary as graduates of Danbury State Teacher’s College in 1959 were: Eleanor (Kernicky) Adzima, Carol (Wilson) Lovell and Barbara (Arnold) Susnitzky; celebrating their 55th anniversary were: Elizabeth (Casassa) Comcowich, Jean (Griffin) Kelley and Shirley (Gardner) Peknik; and celebrating their 60th anniversary were Virginia (Pearson) Ciccarone and Elizabeth (Dioguardi) Darragh.

During the sit-down lunch that was also attended by university officials and members of the WCSU Alumni Association, those celebrating milestone anniversaries were each presented with a Golden Circle picture frame.

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