Photo by Finn Wikstrom ’26/The Choate News
The Wallingford Senior Center’s new signage.
By Ha Jin Sung ’28, Reporter
On October 9, the Wallingford community gathered to celebrate the renaming of the Wallingford Senior Center, now officially named the Iris F. Papale Municipal Center, dedicated to Ms. Iris Papale, the town’s first female Town Councilor and former Town Council Chairwoman. “It was wonderful, and many people showed up to honor Iris,” Mr. Bill Viola, the Executive Director of the Iris F. Papale Municipal Center, said.
Guests included members of Ms. Papale’s family, Wallingford Mayor Mr. Vincent Cervoni, and members of the Wallingford Town Council. U.S. Congresswoman Ms. Rosa DeLauro also attended the unveiling of the new senior center sign and spoke about her experience with Ms. Papale. “What was special about Iris was that level of energy and a level of enthusiasm that she brought to what she did. She was known for her kindness, for her compassion, and her ability to work with anyone,” she said.
Ms. Papale was elected to the Wallingford Town Council in 1975 and served for 32 years, creating a lasting impact through her leadership. “She was a beloved person in the town,” Mr. Viola said. “She served on the board of directors here for nine years. She was a chairman of the nominating committee of the Wallingford Committee on Aging [and] volunteered at the Senior Center.” He also added that Ms. Palpale was simply a lovely human being: “I always enjoyed talking to her, and she was very kind. She got along with everybody, really,” he said.
During her time on the Council, Ms. Papale also held prominent positions in the Adult Education Advisory Board, Lyman Hall Vocational Agricultural Committee, and Council Merit Review Committee, where she was especially committed to the well-being of seniors and regularly advocated for new initiatives at the Senior Center. She was also involved in the Connecticut Electric Work Examining Board, the Wallingford Board of Ethics, and the Spanish Community of Wallingford. Ms. Papale often spoke about loving these organizations as it allowed her to meet people in the Wallingford community.
After her passing in 2021 at the age of 86, Mayor Cervoni and former Mayor Mr. William Dickinson Jr. implemented renaming the Wallingford Senior Center after Ms. Papale. Mayor Cervoni spoke highly of Ms. Papale, with whom he had an amicable relationship, despite their diverging political views. “Iris Papale was very much Wallingford, as anyone else might have been … she really, really was such an integral part of this town, for most of her life,” he told CT Insider.
