Mario Joseph Poliferno, 89, of Shelton, Connecticut, formerly of Hartford, Hamden and Derby, entered into rest on January 24, 2020, at Bishop Wicke Health Center in Shelton.
Dr. Poliferno, son of the late Salvatore and Frances Nappi Poliferno, was born in Derby, Connecticut, on February 21, 1930. A graduate of Derby High School, Class of 1948, he was a first-generation college student, graduating from Yale University in 1952 with a B.A. in mathematics. He continued his advanced studies in mathematics at Yale, earning an M.A. in 1954 and a Ph.D. in 1958. His field of specialization was mathematical logic.
Dr. Poliferno was a devoted professor of mathematics at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, from 1958 until his retirement in 1990. Before joining the Trinity faculty, he taught mathematics at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and also held part-time teaching positions at Yale, the University of New Haven, and Hopkins School.
In addition to teaching, he had numerous articles published in professional journals, gave many public lectures, and authored the textbook, Numbers, Relations and Functions, on pre-calculus and elementary discrete mathematics. He was a member of the American Association of University Professors, the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and the Association for Symbolic Logic.
Mario appreciated fine cinema and enjoyed debating the politics of the day with his friends and colleagues, though he found the greatest joy in his family, especially his nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren.
He was a truly special uncle who took great pride in their accomplishments and went out of his way to nurture and celebrate their growth and development throughout their lives.
He is survived by a sister, Yolanda (Mrs. Carlo) Costanzo of Orange, Connecticut, a sister-in-law, Helen Staffieri Poliferno, and his loving and devoted nieces and nephews: Elaine Kline of Hingham, Massachusetts; Patricia (Mrs. Fred) Mottola of Cheshire, Connecticut; Linda (Mrs. Jack) Natowich of Milford, Connecticut; Carol (Mrs. James) Lewis of La Crescenta, California; Frank Poliferno of West Nyack, New York; Richard Poliferno of Sharon, Massachusetts, and his wife, Jodi; Carl Costanzo Jr. of Seymour, Connecticut, and his wife, Donna; Lori (Mrs. David) Carcova of Orange, Connecticut; and Maria (Mrs. Dan) McNamara of West Hartford, Connecticut, along with many grandnieces, grandnephews, and great-grandnieces and nephews, all of whom he adored. He was predeceased by a sister, Mary Poliferno, and three brothers, Pasquale, Frank, and Salvatore Poliferno.
His family would like to thank Rose and Felicia, the Bright Star caregivers who were his devoted and caring companions, and the staffs at Crosby Commons and Bishop Wicke for providing warm and loving homes during his final years.
Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, January 29, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home, 253 Elizabeth Street, Derby. Friends may also greet the family at the funeral home on Thursday, January 30, at 10:00 a.m., and join them for a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11:00 a.m. at St. Jude Church in Derby. Interment will be at Mount St. Peter’s Cemetery, New Haven Avenue, Derby.
Online condolences can be offered at http://www.adzimafh.com.
