Sono Gardens, where neighbors help neighbors
This is a tale of neighbors helping neighbors and how successful a moderate income housing development can be.
In 1968, having just been released from the U.S. Army, my wife and I along with our newborn daughter moved into the newly constructed “Towne House Gardens” co-ops after living in the attic of my wife’s parents’ home for several months while looking for an apartment. We lived in the townhouse until we were able to purchase a house in 1976. In the meantime, my mother and sister Michele moved into a unit in the development also. After Mom’s death in 1997, Mickey continued to live in the co-op alone. In 2005 Towne House Gardens was converted from a co-op to condominium ownership.
She was never, from middle age on, in the greatest of health and in the last few years of her life, her health deteriorated to the point that she was confined to a wheelchair and unable to get out of bed or go from floor to floor without assistance. She retired in 2015 after 30 years as executive secretary at Brien McMahon High School, where several of her neighbors were students.
In retirement, she lived alone in Sono Gardens Condominiums in South Norwalk, in a two-story unit with the bath and bedrooms on the second floor. We had a stairlift installed that worked for a while until her condition worsened and she was completely unambulatory.
We, the family, tried to talk Mickey into moving into a one-story condominium many times but she steadfastly refused, saying that she was comfortable where she was. As we learned more about her living arrangements with more frequent visits, we gradually realized why she was so adamant about staying in Sono Gardens — it was the love and support from her neighbors.
Several times she fell and required assistance to get up. She was too embarrassed to call 911 for assistance, although on a few occasions she had no other choice. In her last year, our sister Judy, a retired nurse, lived with her and usually managed to help her up, get her in bed and assist her into the seat of the stairlift. On some occasions however, she was unable to do it and had to call for assistance. She frequently called on her next-door neighbor of more than 30 years, Martin Moore, who had been a student at Brien McMahon High School when Mickey was there. She could always count on Martin’s help. If he was not home, he would call one of his family members, or fellow neighbors, Charles Frye, or John Preston (who was her paperboy at age 12), or Robyn and Thomas Bynes. Someone was always available to assist. These neighbors would, after a snowstorm, clean off her car and shovel her parking space and walkway, empty her trash, etc., without being asked.
One night, I got a call that Mickey had fallen. Judy could not get her up. I live in Trumbull, and it would have taken me a half hour to get there. I called Martin, and although he was on his way to a family dinner at a local restaurant with his son, he turned around to help Mickey.
Michele “Mickey” Ahern, 72, passed away peacefully Thursday morning, Nov. 12, 2020 at Yale New Haven Hospital
We want to express our sincere appreciation to all the neighbors at Sono Gardens. In these troubled times it is most gratifying to know that there is still love and support among neighbors.
And kudos to whoever had the foresight to develop such a successful housing development that has served our family for more than 50 years.