Obituary of Jean H. Frulla

Warrensburg: Jean Hinckley Frulla, 85, formerly of Sanford St. passed away Sunday, March 31, 2013, in Bethesda, MD following a long illness. Born September 23, 1927, in Proctor, VT, she was the daughter of the late Earl and Mary (Swanson) Hinckley of Rutland, VT. Jean married her beloved husband, Rino Victor Frulla, in Rutland, and they settled in Warrensburg, where they had met. The couple spent 53 years together before his passing in 2006. Upon her graduation from Rutland High School in 1945, Jean then graduated from Syracuse University in 1949, where she obtained a dual degree in journalism and English. She also completed significant graduate studies in the field of education. Mrs. Frulla taught high school English from 1949-1990 to three generations of Warrensburg Central School students. There, she led a wide range of student activities, including, innovative theater programs, book fairs, the National Honor Society, student newspapers, and class trips. Jean was well-regarded for how she prepared her students for life after high school and for the heavy red pen she used to correct (and require corrections of) her students’ compositions. While employed, The New York State English Council selected her, from among English teachers state-wide, at all levels, from elementary school through college, as one of 44 Teachers of Excellence. She was also a member and officer of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary sorority for educators. Jean was equally active in her community, serving on the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Richards Library for many years. Mrs. Frulla also led the Warrensburgh Historical Society preservation efforts. Steve Parisi, Director of the Warrensburgh Museum of Local History, recently explained, “Jean Frulla was a founding member of the original Warrensburgh Historical Society in 1973. At that time she was deeply involved in an attempt to save the Emerson Sawmill, located just upstream from the Grist Mill. In 1972, she guided her class at WCS in the making of a video about the lost historic buildings in town, with the intent of encouraging her students and the community at large to protect the remaining architectural treasures of the town. Students interviewed several local people involved with the town's history, including Town Historian, Mabel Tucker, and the now legendary Stewart Farrar. A special interview with Mr. Farrar was entirely about the sawmill. Another interview was with an architect, actually taking students into the sawmill and describing its workings. A TV channel in the Capital District came to town and did a segment on local historic preservation efforts, including an interview with Mrs. Frulla about the situation.” (All of these videos can be seen at the Warrensburgh Museum of Local History.) Mr. Parisi added, “In 1996, when the Warrensburgh Historical Society was revived and reorganized, Mrs. Frulla applauded the effort and was very supportive. In 2007, when the Historical Society made an appeal to the community to help finance the restoration of the 1976 Bicentennial Mural on the wall of the museum building, Mrs. Frulla was the first, and largest, contributor to the effort, making her donation in memory of her husband Rino. She wrote, ‘(I) can't fully describe how thrilled I am to learn that the mural will be restored to all its colorful beauty.’ In summary, Jean Frulla set an example and left an indelible mark on historic preservation efforts in the Town of Warrensburg.” Upon retirement, Jean and her husband traveled extensively and often entertained family and friends at their second home on Loon Lake, including her Alpha Gamma Delta sorority sisters each summer, until recent years. Besides her parents and beloved husband, Rino, Jean was also predeceased by an infant son, Michael. She is survived by her son, David Earl Frulla and his wife, Lisa, as well as their children, David Everett and Grace Lyons, all of Washington, DC and Chestertown. Friends may call on Jean’s family from 5 to 8 pm, Thursday, April 4, 2013, at Alexander-Baker Funeral Home, 3809 Main St., Warrensburg. A funeral service to celebrate her life will be conducted at 11:00 am, Friday at the Warrensburg First United Methodist Church, 3890 Main St., Warrensburg, with the Rev. Stephen Andrews, Pastor, officiating. Burial will follow in Warrensburg Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations in Jean’s name to the Richards Library Building Fund, 36 Elm St., Warrensburg, NY 12885. Please visit www.alexanderfh.net for online guestbook, condolences and directions.