Adele Taylor Civic Award 2025
The Woodbury Democratic Town Committee, in coordination with the family of Adele Taylor, announces this year’s Adele Taylor Civic Award honorees are Woodbury residents Earl Gillette, Nancy Mackey, Ruth Melichiori, and Mary Tyrrell.
The second-annual presentation of The Adele Taylor Civic Awards will be held on Sunday, September 14 at 4 p.m. at the Woodbury Brewing Company located at 738 Main St. South, Woodbury. Drinks will be available at the cash bar. The Democratic Town Committee will provide pizza. For more information, contact si************@***il.com.
The Adele Taylor Civic Awards are given annually to Woodbury residents who embody the irrepressible spirit of goodwill and practical optimism that Adele Taylor (1927-2021) brought to her lifelong engagement with Woodbury.
Award winner Earl Gillette was raised in Woodbury where his ancestors settled in the early 1800’s. He has been a member of the Woodbury Volunteer Fire Department for almost five decades and recently recognized for more than 25 years of service with the Woodbury Ambulance Association. He previously was a member of the Republican Town Committee and is the current President of his airline’s retired pilots and flight attendants. In 2025, Earl Gillette was recognized by Woodbury with the First Responder of the Year award.
Award winner Nancy Mackey, at age 91, is not just the oldest volunteer at the Woodbury Food Bank, she is hard-working and willing to do anything, anytime to help. Ms. Mackey is currently Secretary of the Woodbury Republican Town Committee and has served as Clerk for numerous Town Boards and commissions for many years, and continues to serve as clerk for the Fire Commission. When requested and needed, she has worked in various town offices, including the Tax Office and the Town Clerk. Nancy enjoys participating in town cultural and civic events. She is truly devoted to her family as a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Award winner Ruth Melchiori’s commitment to Woodbury has been steadfast, especially during some of the town’s most trying times. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Melchiori and her sister Mary Tyrrell kept Canfield Pharmacy open and operational, serving as a lifeline for so many. Ms. Melchiori is a devoted single mother. Her son Mark serves in the U.S. Air Force and lives in Georgia with his wife and two young boys, while her son David lives at home, where they support and care for each other daily. Ruth often shares stories about her family with great pride, whether it’s sending snacks to Georgia, abroad, or managing day-to-day life at home; her love for her sons is deeply evident.
Award winner Mary Tyrrell joined the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency 38 years ago and has served as chair for many years. She truly believes in the IWWA’s federal mandate, “For the benefit and enjoyment of future generations yet unborn.” Ms. Tyrrell is a longtime treasurer of the Old Woodbury Historical Society. As such, she oversaw the financial needs of the society’s recent south wall replacement without grants or major fundraising. She has served on the Woodbury Water Company Advisory Council, Advisory to the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, the SDAT Study, and POCD planning groups.