Love of music filled every moment of Trumbull teacher’s day
TRUMBULL — Robert Bonazzo, a music teacher, never stopped thinking about his students at the CES Regional Center for the Arts, even as he was slowly succumbing to cancer, according to Music Department Chair, Anthony DeQuattro.
“His wife told me that right up until the end, he kept saying, ‘When can I get back to school,” DeQuattro said.
Bonazzo died of cancer on Feb. 3 according to a Facebook post made by RCA on Sunday. He was 75 years old.
Bonazzo was a popular and well-respected music teacher, according to former coworkers and alumni, who said his passion for music education made a profound impact on them. They remembered his kindness and his love of music which seemingly filled every moment of his day, from teaching to simply humming to a tune from a car radio.
Many former students offered their condolences, but for Melissa Travali, Bonazzo was also her uncle Bob. She said she remembered the times they would sing together during Christmas time.
“He would provide live music by playing the piano and urging us to sing along,” Trevali said. “There were many group sing alongs, but the duets ... were always the best.”
Bonazzo’s love of music was so infectious, Travali would later attend the RCA and was also Bonazzo’s former student.
Bonazzo was born on April 27, 1947 in Bridgeport according to his obituary. He was a U.S. Army veteran and he performed in an army band, according to his obituary. He performed in local bands and would later teach at the Regional Center for the Arts since 1998. He is survived by his wife Lisa and several nieces and nephews, in addition to a son among other relatives.
DeQuattro said Bonazzo was able to connect with students and saw his teaching job as a commitment. As a result, while he was a teacher, he never stopped seeing himself as a student.
“There was a humility to him. He never thought he knew everything,” DeQuattro said. “And so working with someone that is constantly striving to improve upon what they’re already doing well is just a real joy.”
DeQuattro said Bonazzo came to terms with his mortality in the days before his death, as DeQuattro visited him at his home.
“I was getting ready to leave and he put his arm on my shoulder and he said, ‘I don’t know Anthony. It’s the end of an era,’ ” DeQuattro said.
While DeQuattro and Travali knew him very well, Principal Eric Nyquist, who has only been the principal for a year, wasn’t as close to him. But he still knew Bonzazzo was held in deep esteem by alumni.
Nyquist praised Bonazzo for his connections with students. When Bonazzo started, the music department had only seven students, he said. Now it has more than 60.
Nyquist said the school is planning a concert to honor Bonazzo.
“We’ll be doing something as our concerts in the in the spring. That’s the place that makes the most sense,” Nyquist said.
Will Flejter, 16, has especially poignant memories of Bonazzo. Prospective students have to audition to enter the RCA. But Bonazzo told Flejter he had a gift for music and guided him through improvisation. Bonazzo already had already been diagnosed with cancer by that point.
So when he heard on Saturday that Bonazzo had died, Flejter said he wasn’t surprised, but it still shook him, saying it felt like being hit by a truck.
“I hoped that he was at peace above,” Fletjer said. “I hope that he is proud of me.”