“Mayor of Oak Street” Cathy Spano Passes Away

Funeral services will be held for Catherine Spano, a longtime community and political activist, who passed away on December 29, 2019.

Spano was known affectionately as “Auntie Kay” by friends, neighbors, city police and elected officials alike. She was an iconic figure in New Britain for decades.

Spano was regarded, for years, as the unofficial “Mayor of Oak Street,” describing her preeminent role in what became known as the North-Oak neighborhood.

Cathy Spano was a key founding member and leader of the North-Oak Neighborhood Revitalization Zone (NRZ). She was active in the planning process to create the NRZ and was a key leader in the organization for years later.

She was also the leader of the volunteer organization created to staff the Oak Street Police Substation. When the older substation building, which was a trailer, was destroyed in a fire, Spano saw great significance in the fact that, despite the fire being so intense that it damaged nearby homes, religious symbols that had been placed by volunteers on the substation site and the United States flag in front of the substation both survived the fire.

Spano advocated for the rebuilding of the substation, and the newly constructed building, the current one on the corner of Oak and West streets, was later dedicated in her honor.

Spano served as a member of the Democratic Town Committee. She was widely considered to be a key power-broker in the city for decades, whose support for candidates was respected by many voters. She wielded that political strength with elected officials of both parties, especially on issues affecting the North-Oak neighborhood.

Cathy Spano served for years as a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the powerful city commission that has the final say on planning and zoning decisions for the city.

Spano was active in the St. Ann Church congregation and many civic and fraternal organizations.

Calling hours for Spano are 4:00 to 7:00pm, tonight, Sunday, January 5, 2020 at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home, Funeral Services will be at 9:00am on Monday, January 6th at the funeral home and Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Ann Church at 10:00am on Monday. Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home is located at 411 South Main Street and St. Ann Church is at 47 Clark Street.