Obituaries

Ronald Pier

October 16, 1928 - July 15, 2019

U.S. Veteran

Burial Date July 18, 2019

PIER: Roland “Rollie” Pier, 90 of New London, entered eternal life on July 15, 2019. He was born Oct. 16, 1928 in New London the son of the late Attilio and Italia (Ballestrini) Pier. He attended local schools, graduating from the former Bulkeley High School, class of 1946. During his high schools year’s he started boxing and later in life, was inducted in the CT Boxing Hall of Fame in 2008. He served in the US Army and was a Koran War veteran. On the GI Bill, he later graduated from Eastern CT State College., with a BA in teaching. He married, the former Yvette Morrissette on Oct. 1, 1965 in Ledyard, Mrs. Pier survives him after nearly 54 of devotion. Mr. Pier was a school teacher in the Ledyard School’s retiring after 28 years. Rollie and Yvette traveled across the US and abroad to Europe eleven times. He organized the Vagabonds baseball team, where he funded the team on his own, never having a sponsor for 25 years, along with assistance coach, Bill “Ace” Parker. The Vagabonds influenced baseball in Eastern CT by showing that quality baseball came out of this area they were willing to play in excess of 70 games per year as they played in local leagues, but were most willing to travel far and wide to play all comers in the semi-pro ranks. In the 1960’s, the Vagabonds played in tournaments such as the National Baseball Congress in Wichita, KA, at the time a premier semi-pro event in America. They also traveled to Newfoundland and nova Scotia for tournament and played in a host of high profile events up an down the Eastern seaboard, including stops in Syracuse, NY, Bridgeton, MA, Manchester, NH, Richmond, VA and St. Johns, NB among many others. The Vags played in the Morgan Park League for many years, the Norwich City League, Westerly Twi-Light League, Sal Cardenas League in New Port, RI, Meriden Semi-Pro League, and the CT Collegiate League. The Vagabonds have had a number of reunions over the years, many of which came at a New London institution called All-Characters Night, a comedy event staged periodically in the Fort Trumbull section of New London. You had a better chance of getting tickets to a royal wedding, such was the demand for seats at an All-Characters Night, and it was an event planned and created in the Pier household with brother Babe orchestrating the festivities. But mostly, the Vags reunions were just a good excuse to see Rollie again. He was absolutely beloved by his former players and friends who recognized the incredible generosity and warm-heartedness of this great man, who could appear tough as nails but had a heart as soft as a downy pillow. Most folks travel far, and wide before they find a person who could be genuinely described as “sue generis”. But right here in New London, was a man who was absolutely “one of a kind”. We are unlikely to see this kind of personality again. Besides his beloved wife, he is survived by a nephew, Eric Johnson and wife Suzanne and their children, Hannah and Thomas. Three nieces, Karen Irons, Amy and Clare Pierfederici. He was predeceased by two brothers, Othello “Pete” and Leon “Babe” Pierfederici. His family will receive relatives and friends today (Wednesday) from 6 to 8 pm at the Impellitteri-Malia Funeral Home, 84 Montauk Ave., New London. The funeral will assemble on Thursday at 10 am and proceed to a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am in St. Joseph Church, New London. Interment services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory to DEP Officer James V. Spignesi, Jr. Memorial Fund, 71 Westmont St. West Hartford, CT 06117, or, Christopher Potvin Scholarship Fund, 94 Driscoll Dr. Uncasville, CT 06382.