Remembering Anne Fiyalka

November 15, 2024
This week, I want to pay special tribute to my Easton constituent and friend Anne Fiyalka, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 103. Anne not only lived a long life, but it was a full and wonderous one as well. 
On November 5, 1936, Anne was a student at Harding High School in Bridgeport, and famous pilot Amelia Earhart gave a talk at her school. Later, Anne was picked to go up in a plane with Earhart for a short flight over Stratford. Eighty-five years later through the AARP's "Wish of a Lifetime," she was able to take flight again for a special trip to the New England Air Museum to sit in an aircraft similar to the one flown by Earhart when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean in 1937.
Similar to how she was chosen to fly with Earhart, Anne always took a keen interest in the youth of her communities. She loved to tell stories and make connections. Anne had an indomitably young spirit. 

Anne lived her entire life in Connecticut. She took an active role in her community and St. John Nepomucene Church. Anne also spent 35 years volunteering at the polls and time tutoring low-income women at Mercy Learning Center. Between Bridgeport and Easton, Anne showed a lifelong dedication to her community.

Survived by her large family, Anne will be dearly missed. She is forever inspiring, and will be long remembered. May she fly high in spirit, in eternal peace.