1947
Donald
2022
Donald "Spike" Telesco
July 25, 1947 — August 22, 2022
Donald Telesco Obituary
Donald W. Telesco (“Spike”), age 75, of Lebanon CT, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2022, at The Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in South Windsor CT. Donald was born on July 25, 1947 in Stamford CT, the son of Dominick and Genevieve (Kivlin) Telesco. Donald was raised in Stamford and graduated High School from St. Luke’s School for Boys in New Canaan CT in 1964. He attended Windham College in Putney VT and Bethany College in Bethany WV. While at Bethany, he was on his fraternity’s volleyball team. As a man of smaller stature, he was the only player who could not spike the ball at the net, so his teammates nick named him “Spike.” Later in life the name remerged and stuck.
After attending college, Spike worked for a technology company and became a computer geek before the word was popularized. He developed a real talent in computers and was an original owner of the Radio Shack TRS-80 (the trash 80). He purchased many subsequent versions and became an expert in home computing, including building his own machines and writing software in DOS and Machine Language, which he taught himself. He had a technical mind and loved the world of numbers.
In 1970, Spike joined his Father, Dominick, in the family business, The Telesco Fuel & Masons' Material Co., located in Stamford. Spike worked as an office manager and truck dispatcher as the business grew with two other locations in Brookfield and Danbury. As a result, the Telesco "Best-By-Test" red & white striped concrete trucks became a familiar sight in Southwest Connecticut. Spike retired in 1986 with the sale of the business.
After his “retirement”, Spike moved from Stamford to Lebanon and made the greater Willimantic community his friend for the past 35 years. Spike could build anything. He was a constant contributor to many community projects and fund raising efforts with his many artistic and mechanical talents. He was an accomplished woodworker and machinist, again self-taught. He had a full wood and metal shop in his basement on Adams Heights Rd in Lebanon. Spike worked on projects deep into the night. He helped renovate the Studios of WILI Radio in the Lonergan Building and again at the new home of WILI Radio at 720 Main Street, Willimantic.
Spike loved the performing arts and especially the theater. He was a founding member of the Windham Theatre Guild. He designed and built sets and special effects for the Guild and was passionate and proud of this work. Spike also built floats with the Willimantic Brewing Company and WILI Radio for the July 4th Willimantic Boom Box Parade.
Spike was fascinated by magic, especially illusions. In this regard, he worked with Tony Leone “The Great Leone” on various illusions and later helped born the idea of building a robot for Tony’s growing magic act. Together, Spike and Tony designed and built Sami-D2, a robot used in The Great Leone’s magic shows. Spike was the first operator of the robot which was featured in many newspaper articles and other media coverage.
Spike had numerous interests and was an inventor at heart. He held a U.S. Patent for an instrument he designed and built called the Fidango. The instrument was a combination of a banjo and violin and produced a country music tone. Spike was a founding member of the National Railway Historical Society, CT Chapter. He loved model trains and built impressive train displays in the basement of his parent’s home in Stamford, a home he coined “The Ponderosa”. The displays were done in HO Scale and eventually in N and Z scale. He meticulously built the surrounding landscapes himself. They were a work of art. In addition, Spike was fascinated by the solar system and owned many telescopes and often took them to high vistas and mountain tops for a better view of the universe. One favorite spot was Cardigan Mountain in Canaan, NH.
Spike was a master joke teller. His jokes were long and always done in multiple character voices. His jokes often made his mother laugh to the point of tears. It was performance art at the dining room table during the holidays. His laugh was infectious. He was the real McCoy.
We love you Spike. Until we meet again. Rest in Peace.
Spike is survived by his sister Carol Ann (Michael) Rice; nephews Kevin (Laura) Rice; Brian (Tracy) Rice; niece Karen (Marc) Brimley and many cousins. Spike was preceded by his parents Dominick and Genevieve (Kivlin) Telesco.
The Family would like to thank the entire staff at Brookdale, South Windsor for their excellent care of Spike during his last few years.
Family and friends may call at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2022 at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, 46 North Eagleville Rd, Storrs. Burial will follow in the Storrs Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Windham Theatre Guild P.O. Box 802, Willimantic CT 06226.
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in memory of Donald "Spike" Telesco, please visit our floral store.
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Donald W. Telesco (“Spike”), age 75, of Lebanon CT, passed away peacefully on August 22, 2022, at The Brookdale Assisted Living Facility in South Windsor CT. Donald was born on July 25, 1947 in Stamford CT, the son of Dominick and Genevieve (Kivlin) Telesco. Donald was raised in Stamford and graduated High School from St. Luke’s School for Boys in New Canaan CT in 1964. He attended Windham College in Putney VT and Bethany College in Bethany WV. While at Bethany, he was on his fraternity’s volleyball team. As a man of smaller stature, he was the only player who could not spike the ball at the net, so his teammates nick named him “Spike.” Later in life the name remerged and stuck.
After attending college, Spike worked for a technology company and became a computer geek before the word was popularized. He developed a real talent in computers and was an original owner of the Radio Shack TRS-80 (the trash 80). He purchased many subsequent versions and became an expert in home computing, including building his own machines and writing software in DOS and Machine Language, which he taught himself. He had a technical mind and loved the world of numbers.
In 1970, Spike joined his Father, Dominick, in the family business, The Telesco Fuel & Masons' Material Co., located in Stamford. Spike worked as an office manager and truck dispatcher as the business grew with two other locations in Brookfield and Danbury. As a result, the Telesco "Best-By-Test" red & white striped concrete trucks became a familiar sight in Southwest Connecticut. Spike retired in 1986 with the sale of the business.
After his “retirement”, Spike moved from Stamford to Lebanon and made the greater Willimantic community his friend for the past 35 years. Spike could build anything. He was a constant contributor to many community projects and fund raising efforts with his many artistic and mechanical talents. He was an accomplished woodworker and machinist, again self-taught. He had a full wood and metal shop in his basement on Adams Heights Rd in Lebanon. Spike worked on projects deep into the night. He helped renovate the Studios of WILI Radio in the Lonergan Building and again at the new home of WILI Radio at 720 Main Street, Willimantic.
Spike loved the performing arts and especially the theater. He was a founding member of the Windham Theatre Guild. He designed and built sets and special effects for the Guild and was passionate and proud of this work. Spike also built floats with the Willimantic Brewing Company and WILI Radio for the July 4th Willimantic Boom Box Parade.
Spike was fascinated by magic, especially illusions. In this regard, he worked with Tony Leone “The Great Leone” on various illusions and later helped born the idea of building a robot for Tony’s growing magic act. Together, Spike and Tony designed and built Sami-D2, a robot used in The Great Leone’s magic shows. Spike was the first operator of the robot which was featured in many newspaper articles and other media coverage.
Spike had numerous interests and was an inventor at heart. He held a U.S. Patent for an instrument he designed and built called the Fidango. The instrument was a combination of a banjo and violin and produced a country music tone. Spike was a founding member of the National Railway Historical Society, CT Chapter. He loved model trains and built impressive train displays in the basement of his parent’s home in Stamford, a home he coined “The Ponderosa”. The displays were done in HO Scale and eventually in N and Z scale. He meticulously built the surrounding landscapes himself. They were a work of art. In addition, Spike was fascinated by the solar system and owned many telescopes and often took them to high vistas and mountain tops for a better view of the universe. One favorite spot was Cardigan Mountain in Canaan, NH.
Spike was a master joke teller. His jokes were long and always done in multiple character voices. His jokes often made his mother laugh to the point of tears. It was performance art at the dining room table during the holidays. His laugh was infectious. He was the real McCoy.
We love you Spike. Until we meet again. Rest in Peace.
Spike is survived by his sister Carol Ann (Michael) Rice; nephews Kevin (Laura) Rice; Brian (Tracy) Rice; niece Karen (Marc) Brimley and many cousins. Spike was preceded by his parents Dominick and Genevieve (Kivlin) Telesco.
The Family would like to thank the entire staff at Brookdale, South Windsor for their excellent care of Spike during his last few years.
Family and friends may call at the Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson Street, Willimantic from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2022. A Mass of Christian burial will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2022 at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, 46 North Eagleville Rd, Storrs. Burial will follow in the Storrs Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Windham Theatre Guild P.O. Box 802, Willimantic CT 06226.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Donald "Spike" Telesco, please visit our floral store.
Read More
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donald "Spike" Telesco, please visit our flower store.
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