As we were preparing to leave the CCSU Car Club (C3) show, Dave and I met Linda Dezenzo and Krystina Carbone as the pair handed out crisp apples - the perfect fall snack - during the afternoon. Krystina explained that her family was there to honor the memory of her cousin, Brian Wilson, Jr., who was 23 when a heart attack tragically cut his life short in 2008.Linda said her son had been an active member of C3, and the show was in memory of Brian, with the proceeds being donated to the American Heart Association (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG). Linda added that on Saturday, October 23rd, she and her family would also be taking part in the Heart Walk in Hartford’s Bushnell Park.
Linda invited me to see her son’s car, a silver, six-liter 2006 Pontiac GTO that Brian had been leasing. The family had wanted to keep the car after his death, and it took a lot of legal wrangling that included getting the car off of auction to do so. She lovingly showed me the many heartfelt messages family and friends had written on the car and said they planned to preserve the messages with a clear coat.
Linda had photo displays under the hood and on the rear window, showing how active and full of life her son had been. Dave joined me as Linda pointed out a favorite family photo taken on her birthday. Thomas Dezenzo said his son had been a volunteer firefighter in Plainville and then in Burlington, and that he also enjoyed Jeeps and off-roading.
Linda said it was important to get the word out that a heart attack can strike anyone, including someone like Brian, who was 23, active and in good health.
Many touching tributes to Brian can be found at this link: http://www.ls1gto.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-283377.html.
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