Famous Fair Havenite: Vince Lombardi

You may still have Super Bowl on the brain from yesterday's game. And there's also that coveted National Football League trophy that went to the Ravens this year and is named after legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi.

All of these things are very well-known facts, even if you're not a sports buff. But a lesser known fact is that Lombardi called Fair Haven his home in the 1950s. Yes, it's true; and many Fair Havenites, considering the time of year, have been abuzz about it.

They've been talking on the Fair Haven Facebook page. And, mixed in with the social media chatter are some more facts about Lombardi and his stint as a Fair Havenite that you may not know.

"It is time to honor Fair Haven's most famous resident ever. The one, the only ... I can just hear Howard Cosell saying his name right now ... Vince Lum-bahh-di," posted Fair Haven Facebook page administrator Doug Newman.

Lombardi probably wasn't the most famous borough resident "ever." There have been others in other arenas of fame, past and present, including Nelson Riddle of Frank Sinatra band fame.

But Lombardi was pretty famous and, as other Fair Havenites recalled, he was steeped in the community when he lived there in the 1950s.

How did he end up in Fair Haven? "His wife was from the area," Newman said.

He lived on Katherine Street, off Kemp Avenue, according to Bill Acker, who also said that his sister babysat for Lombardi's kids.

"They (Lombardis) lived in FH when he coached the Giants," said Fair Haven native John Vigilante. "My grandmother is buried in the same cemetery."

That cemetery is not too far away — Mt. Olivet in the Chapel Hill section of Middletown.

"I have a wonderful picture of Vince Lombardi with my Dad taken back in '58, my brother's class," native Fair Havenite Trish Harkins said. "He was the speaker at a sports banquet ... I think ... Actually my dad sold him his house when they moved to Fair Haven, and when they left too. Very wonderful family!"

Do you have any Lombardi in Fair Haven stories to share? Let us know in the comments section below.