Dominic Richard Spera Jr., 73
January 23, 1948 to January 25, 2021
Affectionately called “Domboman” by those who intimately knew him well, Dominic Richard Spera Jr., was a legendary person who will never be forgotten by all who knew him. He was a loyal friend, caring colleague, and loving and supportive father and grandfather.
Born on January 23, 1948, Dominic Spera just turned 73 years old before passing away after a long battle with prostate cancer on January 25, 2021 in his home in Boynton Beach, Florida. He was a person who had a passion for three major genres: food, sports, and relationships. His infectious personality could light up a room as he always wanted others to have a good time above everything else, including his own self wants and desires. His love for the clam pie at Frank Pepe’s Pizza, a perfectly cut, prime New York strip steak made by his youngest son, a great rack of ribs, or anything lobster never outweighed the joy of being around his friends and family during these meals. His long, loud, belly filled laugh which always included an attempt at communicating words is something his large group of friends will never forget.
He leaves behind his wife of over 20 years, Sheila; his oldest son, Michael Spera, 46, the Chief of Police in Old Saybrook; and his youngest son, Dr. Nicholas Spera, 42, the Executive Director of ISAAC in New London who is married to his daughter in law, Debbie Spera. His two grandchildren, Rocco, 5, and Nico, 3, brought him so much joy with their interest and strong athletic talents in baseball, golf, and football. Dominic’s major passion was the New York Yankees and the New York Giants; both which he followed closer than the people within the organizations themselves.
At the age of 52, he played golf for the first time at Fenwick Golf Course in Old Saybrook. On the first hole, he hit a pitching wedge that skimmed off the roof of the church before landing the ball 3 feet from the hole for birdie. The Domboman was hooked after that. He became an avid golfer joining different clubs in Connecticut and Florida where he would play close to 100 rounds a year following his retirement. He loved playing with his group of friends (ringers) in tournaments and scrambles where he became Captain Clutch with the putter. After trying hundreds of different clubs, he would always come back to the 1998 Callaway Warbird 3 wood, claiming “they don’t make it like this anymore”.
Dominic was the son of Dominic (Nick) Spera Sr. and Helen Spera growing up in Stamford, CT. His father was a drafting teacher at J.M. Wright Vocational Technical High School; a career that he would follow after graduating from Western Connecticut State University where he played college baseball. He earned his Master’s degree from the University of Bridgeport and started his education career as a social studies teacher and guidance counselor in the technical high school system. He worked in the Connecticut Vocational Technical High School for over 35 years ending up as the long-standing Superintendent for close to a decade. In the mid-80s, he was the principal of Grasso Tech before moving onto the Assistant Superintendent position which he held for several years. As a school administrator, he was a hard workingleader who loved people and believed in the power of relationships. He had a belief that is consistent with most management books about making sure you have people in the right seats to do whatever it takes for kids to succeed. Although some authors use the bus analogy to describe this point, Dominic never missed a moment to provide a baseball analogy by saying: “Make sure you sign the right people to fill each position in the field, the bullpen, and the dugout.”
Dominic Spera will be missed greatly by all who knew him. He had a passion for life, education, and happiness. A private ceremony was held in Florida on January 28, 2021.
