To the editor:

On July 27, death came quietly to a beautiful lady whose life was, for the most part, anything but quiet. Married to Tweet Balzano for nearly 50 years and running their landmark restaurant together, a quiet time for Millie Balzano would be home at night with Tweet.

After she lost Tweet she would often be seen driving her Lincoln with her 241 plate out for coffee with her sister-in-law Alice, and later with her sister Claire. Did Millie love a game of chance? You bet she did — and bet she did — so on many of those trips scratch tickets, not coffee, were the top priority. She played her 241 plate number on the evening drawing and trips to Jai Alai years ago, sitting in al grandes box seats with Tweet and playing 241. I think I’ll play it this week — wish me luck, Millie.

Yes Millie loved coffee, but the nursing home was not her cup of tea. Thank God she had her son John and his wife Deirdre having her over to their home on many occasions. With son Billy as chauffeur she would enjoy family and her favorite foods that Johnny would cook. Many times they invited me and I saw Millie so happy to be home, so loved and so not in the nursing home.

Millie did everything she could for Tweet, including letting Bristol and all who knew and loved him pay their respects at Sansone’s to a Bristol institution. Millie was also a Bristol institution. Millie loved her family, but she belonged to Bristol and Bristol came in droves in a driving rain to pack the pews at our lady of Mount Carmel for her funeral mass. The way her daughter Samantha greeted me was just like her mother. Two beautiful ladies.

Bristol, America knows how much you love to celebrate. Millie would have turned 101 on September 4th so on that upcoming late summer Friday night get together on your porches and backyards and pubs and along with me raise your glasses.

A salute, Millie.

George Carroll
Warren