Honoring Norwalk Veterans: A Chat with Richard S Horelick

Written by Leslie Yager

Richard S. Horelick waited outside Norwalk City Hall for his wife one recent morning. Seated on a wood bench under the row of bronze plaques that list Norwalk’s veterans, Horelick noticed a stranger’s interest in the plaques.

“There’s a lot of history here,” Horelick said. “People forget,” he added, gesturing to the plaques.

From where he was seated on the bench, Horelick, a lifelong Norwalk resident, pointed to his father’s name in bronze.

Stanley Horelick served in the Navy during WWII, assigned to the USS Alaska, before returning to Norwalk and raising a family in Harbor View with his wife Elaine. In 1976 Elaine passed away. Nine years later, in 1985, Stanley died and both are buried in the family plot is in Wilton’s St. Matthews Cemetery, one of the oldest in the state. 

Richard lovingly lists his relatives buried in Wilton: Viola, Edna and Blanch Thompson, and Jean Thompson Silk. He adds that his maternal grandmother, Ella Fairchild Wood, also buried there, taught in Wilton’s one-room red school house, which has since been painted white and moved to its current spot just below the intersection of Rt. 7 and Rt. 33.

Richard, who worked as a plumber most of his adult life, added that not only is he the son of WWII veteran, but he is also the proud father of a veteran.

Richard Alexander “Alex” Horelick served in Iraq, which, beside his name is noted as “GWT” (Global War on Terror) on the bronze plaque outside City Hall.

Alex’s name is listed twice in bronze—once as Alex Horelick and once as Richard Alexander A. Horelick—though his father does not complain when he explains the duplication.

“Alex” was in the Marine Corps for six years, which included two tours in Iraq. He returned to Connecticut in 2003.

Richard explains that his son saw combat but doesn’t much like to talk about it. Richard lights up to tell the story of how in 1994 Alex was one of the captains of the Brien McMahon High School football team.

That was the year the team had a perfect 13-0 record, beating Wilton High School before proceeding to the FCIACs at Stamford High School’s Boyle Stadium, and ultimately winning the state championship in West Haven.

Richard mentioned that Alex, who has plans to visit Brookside School in Norwalk on Veteran’s Day to talk to children about the meaning of the holiday, is on the path to becoming a teacher. Richard explained that Alex completed his BS at UConn in 2012 and is currently working on his MS in Education at University of Bridgeport’s Stamford campus.

Like Alex, Richard also attended Brien McMahon. In fact, he was a member of the school’s first graduating class in 1962 and has fond memories of the school administrators having to track him him down at Norwalk High School where he was hanging around with his friends. 

Growing up in Harbor View, Richard had a connection to Long Island Sound. Describing his "Aqua Cat" catamaran, which he said was made in Norwalk by Skip Banks on Martin Luther King Drive, he said, “That took us across the Sound from Norwalk to Northport on Long Island in 20 minutes."

But, back to the bronze plaques outside City Hall, which countless people pass by without pause on any given day.

If you don’t know a veteran personally, maybe Stanley and Alex Horelick will come to mind on your next trip to City Hall. Consider stopping for a moment to look up their names on the bronze plaques and imagine their service. 

Norwalk’s Veterans day ceremonies kick off at 9:30a.m. at City Hall on Nov. 11.