Vernon dedicates park for native son Gene Pitney, ‘Rockville’s rocket’

Gene Pitney’s high school bandmates said the rock ‘n’ roll legend used to come down to Paper Mill Pond in the Rockville section of Vernon to write songs.

On Tuesday, Rob Terry and Dick Spurling, lead guitar and drums, respectively, for Gene & the Genials, attended the dedication of a new park on that same pond named for their Class of ’58 friend and Rockville’s native son.

“I think he would have loved it,” Lynne Pitney said of the 3-acre park honoring her husband of 40 years, who died in 2006.

Gene Pitney Memorial Park on Grove Street was a blighted industrial site. When he was first elected in 2013, Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said he made it a goal to revive the area as an green gateway to Rockville.

Collapsing buildings, debris and garbage were cleared away and the site was remediated in 18 months.

“Before work began, I asked the (federal Environmental Protection Agency) if they would forgive the cleanup costs if we used the land as a park,” Champagne said. “EPA agreed. After the cleanup, we began the long road to taking possession of 19 Grove St. and planning a new park.”

Vernon town crews transformed the industrial brownfield into a park where people can relax, go for a walk or fish.

Once the bulk of the work was done, Champagne said he began thinking about a name for the park. Assistant town administrator Dawn Maselek suggested honoring Gene Pitney. Champagne said he liked the idea and the town council agreed.

Pitney, a 2002 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, was born in Hartford and raised in Rockville, where he began his musical career writing songs and performing. He formed Gene & the Genials while still a student at Rockville High School. The band performed at places such as the Palace Theater and the Kosciuszko Club in Rockville and the Crystal Ballroom in Ellington.

Pitney’s career yielded 16 Top 40 singles of his own on the American pop charts, as well as hits he wrote for other artists, including “Hello Mary Lou” for Rick Nelson and “He’s a Rebel” for the Crystals. Pitney remained an international star long after his songs faded from the charts. He was a particular favorite in Britain, where he scored 26 Top 40 hits. Pitney was touring in Wales when he died on Aug. 5, 2006 at age 66.

Champagne turned to Lynne Pitney at the dedication to make sure Rockville was not the subject of her husband’s song “A Town Without Pity.” She shook her head no.

Herself a Rockville native, Lynne Pitney said, “He was proud of this town.”

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com.

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