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Martha Lundin Fordiani

Martha “Marty” Fordiani, 85, of Branford, succumbed to her long, courageous battle against Alzheimer’s disease on Aug. 1.

She was born in Naugatuck on Jan. 14, 1937 to Ernest and Emily Carlson Lundin. She graduated from Naugatuck High School and attended Pembroke College (Brown University), studying music. She subsequently completed her bachelor’s degree at Boston University, received a master of public administration from the University of New Haven, and a juris doctor from the University of Connecticut.

Marty had a very successful career. She was active in local and Congressional politics and served as permanent home office staff assistant for her local Congressman. She worked as an administrator for the State Labor Department, and after passing the CT Bar, worked as an attorney. However, her professional focus was in the health care administration domain.

During her distinguished career, Marty had many notable achievements to the health care field. She served in an administrative capacity with the former Commission on Hospitals and Health Care from 1977 to 1982, where she managed one of the Agency’s two operating divisions – during a time when the agency was undergoing restructuring – she helped shape the formation, regulation, and growth of health care organizations in the state. She also paved the way for other health care administrative changes and trends. In 1982, she became the first Director of Planning for a 700-bed Connecticut Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. Marty later became the first person to serve as the full-time Risk Manager at Danbury Hospital providing legal services, including in-house litigation management, contract reviewing and negotiations, medico-legal consultation and in-service education for physicians, residents, and staff.

Marty began her long career in health care at the Masonic Home and Hospital in 1966, where she served as a recreation therapist. In 1969, she held the position of Public Health Program Coordinator for the Meriden Health Department. She was Chief Executive Officer of World War II Veterans Memorial Hospital from 1987 to 1991. In that capacity, she worked with the Board and the community to successfully develop and negotiate a plan of merger with Meriden- Wallingford Hospital. She undertook the effort to preserve and improve the availability and quality of health care for the community. She later served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of the merged entity, Mid State Medical Center, and she served a key role in gaining approval to build a new hospital for the region.

She served on several state health care committees as well as being a member of various hospital and state agency boards and panels. She was a founding member and President of both the Connecticut Women in Health Care Management and The Connecticut Health Lawyers Association. She was affiliated with a number of professional organizations, including the

American Academy of Hospital Attorneys and the American Society of Law and Medicine; Diplomate, American College of Health Care Executives; Member of the Conn Bar Association Medical Legal Committee; Preceptor, University of Connecticut Undergraduate Program in Health Services Management; Central Connecticut Family Service Board of Directors; and Corporator of Meriden Girls Club; United Way of Meriden and Wallingford Board of Directors and member of the Executive Committee; and Meriden Charter Implementation Commission. She served on the Board of Directors for VNA Community Health Care in Branford. One of her most important contributions was her active involvement on the steering committee of Healthy Meriden 2000, an innovative program which sought to improve the health and well- being of the Meriden community. She also served on the Blackstone Library Board in Branford, was on the Board of Directors of Center Bank Waterbury and was a member of The Pine Orchard Yacht and Country Club.

Over the course of her career, Marty received numerous awards. Among them are the ACHE Connecticut Regent’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Healthcare Management; Honorary Membership, Connecticut Hospital Association; Meriden YWCA 100 Exceptional Women Honoree; Meriden Economic Development Corporation Keystone Award which honors individuals who have made substantial contributions to the economic wellbeing of the City of Meriden and have worked to improve its quality of life, and the Meriden YWCA Women in Leadership Award.

Marty raised five children in Meriden. Marty generously shared her many skills and talents with family and friends. She was an accomplished pianist and vocalist from her youth and throughout her life. She was active in community affairs, was a regular vocal soloist at Mass, and was invited to sing for many wedding ceremonies. When she worked at the Masonic Home in Wallingford, she and her children performed together in musical skits and other performances alongside the residents in their annual variety shows. She encouraged her children to take music lessons in school, and after a fashion they were quite the musical group, with Beth on flute, Alfred on violin, Paul on trumpet, David on cello, and Francesca on clarinet.

She was especially very proud of her tenure as Director and President of the Meriden Symphony Orchestra and was the founder and first president of the Meriden Arts Council.

Marty and Al were avid travelers. They traveled extensively across North America and Europe. She and her sister Elizabeth jointly planned several trips abroad and spent a memorable trip in Sweden in 1985 searching for Lundin family roots. During those trips, Alfred was a dedicated photographer, and the family would often gather to look at slides from many past trips. She was an avid skier, knitter, seamstress, and gardener before taking up hiking and golf later in her life. She especially loved playing Bridge at Pine Orchard with her lady friends who were so kind, loving, caring, and patient with her as her illness progressed. She also always looked forward to the stimulating and fun evenings over the many years with her loving Book Club Friends.

Marty was a great entertainer and an excellent cook. Although raised in a Swedish-American household, she quickly mastered Italian cooking. She was adventurous in the kitchen and often engaged with her children in finding and trying new recipes. Throughout the years, Marty hosted many gourmet dinners. She instilled her loves of music, cooking, reading and lifelong learning into her five children.

Marty was a great Mom and grandmother “Mor Mor”. She was unflappable in the face of the daily chaos brought on by five rambunctious children and their many friends. She became notorious in her neighborhood for ringing a hand-held bell like a town crier to announce dinner time. Their children’s friends would hear the bell and shout out, “Fordianis you better get home!”

Above All, she was the great love of Al’s life, his heart and his soul, and Al was the great love of her life.

Besides her husband Alfred of 65years, she is survived by her son Alfred and his wife Rita, of Sudbury, Massachusetts, and their children Jillian and Gino; son Paul and his wife Joanna, of Rockville, Maryland; son David and his wife Jackie, of Meriden; and daughter Francesca, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts; and son-in-law Peter Egan (Beth’s husband), of Southington, and their children Gretchen Hillstrom (husband Ken), and Benjamin Egan, and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her daughter, Beth, who passed from cancer in 2016.

Marty’s last years were spent in nursing facilities as she became increasingly debilitated from Alzheimer’s. She suffered greatly, and it is a blessing to see her freed from this affliction.

The Fordiani Family would like to thank the staffs at The Hearth at Gardenside and the Whitney Rehabilitation Care Center for their professional support and more importantly and especially to Marty and Al’s many friends for their concern, caring, support and kindness over these many trying years.

A memorial service is planned at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Pine Orchard Union Chapel, 25 Chapel Drive, Branford. Refreshments to follow at the Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club, 294 Pine Orchard Road, Branford.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Martha’s name to the Branford Community Foundation, Box 462, Branford, CT.