Obituary of Gilbert Lassen

Mr. Gilbert Asa Lassen, Sr. 76 of Boulder Road, Cheshire, died Sunday February 24, 2008 at the Masonic Healthcare Center in Wallingford. He was the husband of Lorraine (Piekarski) Lassen. Mr. Lassen was born January 31, 1932 in Cheshire a son of the late John Dewitt and Dorothy (Palen) Lassen and has been a lifelong Cheshire resident. He was a graduate of Southington High School and had attended Cheshire Academy. He was the owner of Boulder Knoll Farm in Cheshire, which had been in his family for close to 100 years. He was past President of the Cheshire Grange and had also served on the executive committee and drove his farm tractor in the Cheshire Memorial Day Parades representing the grange, he was a leader of the 4-H livestock club of Cheshire, served as chairman of the Connecticut state Grange and Agriculture Committee, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Middlefield-North Haven Agway Committee. He was also a member of Agrimark, the Future Farmers of America, and the New Haven County ASCS Committee. The New Haven County DHIA Board and was an Easter AI delegate and was the last dairy farmer in Cheshire. In 2000 the Town of Cheshire purchased the farm land for open space. Mr. Lassen was a longtime member of the Cheshire Planning and Zoning Commission, was president of the Doolittle School PTA. After his retirement from farming, he drove school buses for the Dattco Co. in Cheshire. Mr. Lassen was a US Army veteran serving during the Korean War as a Master Sergeant of the Tank Division. Besides his wife, he leaves his sons, John (Jack) Dewitt Lassen of Belleville, NY, Gilbert (Gib) Asa Lassen, Jr, of Cheshire, Thomas J. Lacey, Jr, of Wallingford and John W. Lacey of Wallingford, his daughters, Beth (Lassen) Castaldi of Sherman, Vicki Lassen of Cheshire, Kim (Lassen) Lapman of Waterbury and Eileen (Lacey) Chernasky of Westerly, RI his sisters, Mikelle (Lassen) Upson of Waterbury and Patricia (Lassen) Smetanka of Park Rapids, MN, his mother-in-law Veronica (Francis) Piekarski of Cheshire and his brother-in-law Ted Piekarski of Rosedale, IN. he also leaves 16 grandchildren, 2 great grandsons and many nieces and nephews. Funeral services with military honors for Mr. Lassen will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the First Congregational Church of Cheshire. Friends are asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will be held at the convenience of his family. Calling hours will be held Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Slater Funeral Home 242 South Main Street in Cheshire. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the Masonic Healthcare Center 22 Masonic Ave. Wallingford, CT. 06492 or to the First Congregational Church of Cheshire 111 Church Drive Cheshire, CT. 06410.