The Parsons Government Complex, formerly Milford High School, is named after Thomas C. Parsons, a man who spoke his mind and was active in the political, religious and social fabric of Milford.
As former Police Chief William Bull said of him: “He did a lot of work for people that no one ever knew he was doing.” Though he garnered much recognition for contributions to Milford, most of his service was helping people with alcoholism for he was a sober alcoholic himself. He became sober with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous.
“He started “Alateen” in Milford which helped hundreds if not thousands of kids over the years,” Leo P. Carroll, an old friend, said. “They attended meetings not necessarily because they had the disease but because a sibling or parent had the disease.”
One of his awards was the YMCA’s Service to Youth Award. He was honored as Citizen of the Year in 1980 and the WTNH Jefferson Award in 1981. He was a member of Governor Ella Grasso’s Organized Task Force on Youth and Alcohol, New York Governor’s Conference on Education of Alcoholics, Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission and Milford’s Drug and Alcohol Abuse Committee.
He served on the boards of Connecticut Valley Hospital, Health Systems Agency of South Central Connecticut, Region II Mental Health Board and Alcohol Services of South Central Connecticut.
Parsons was born in 1914 in Yonkers, N.Y. and had three brothers and three sisters. He was a Milford resident for more than 35 years. He married Kathleen Delaney and they never had children.
“Tom was such a humble guy,” said Carroll. “He was continuously sober for more than 25 years when he died of a respiratory illness.”
Parsons’ grave marker is a stone military one flat in the ground. It only states he was an Army Tactical Sergeant in World War II and lived from 1914 to 1984. During the war he received the Bronze Star which is awarded for “heroic or meritorious achievement or service in a combat zone,” according to the online website Wikipedia. Carroll did not know how Parsons earned that award. Parsons was a member of Milford Post 196 of the American Legion after the war.
By the time of his death, Parsons was called “Mr. Milford” and city flags flew at half-staff for several days in his honor. He was a member of the Republican Town Committee and served as Republican Registrar of Voters.
A “grass roots movement” sprouted after his death to name the new government building being transformed from Milford High School after Parsons, according to Carroll. It was led by Aldermanic Chairman Fred Lisman and City Clerk Margaret Egan. No other names were in contention, and the Aldermen passed the measure by a unanimous vote.
Parsons was devoted to his church. He was president of St. Mary’s Parish Council, St. Mary’s Holy Name Society and member of the Archbishop’s Council representing the Milford Vicarate.
He was also President of the Milford Chamber of Commerce, United Way, and Rotary Club, and served on the board of the Milford Chapter of American Red Cross, Milford Homemakers Home Health Association and Milford Mental Health Clinic. Another friend, Robert Gregory, noted he was the only male member of the Future Secretaries of America Milford Chapter. Every year from his store at Parsons Office Supply he would donate a typewriter to an outstanding female graduate of Milford High School
