On what would have been his 66th birthday, the legacy of former Selectman David Theis will be immortalized with a rededication of the Route 1 bridge crossing over the Mianus River.

The bridge, which connects Cos Cob and Riverside, will be formally renamed The Honorable David N. Theis Memorial Bridge at a special ceremony 11 a.m. Sunday. Theis, who was in his fifth year as a member of the Board of Selectmen, died suddenly last December and his friends and loved ones had been seeking a way to pay permanent tribute to him.

The bridge was a significant one for Theis. After a resident’s suggestion, he began working to put up American flags along each side of the bridge every summer to pay tribute to the American spirit as well as both veterans and current members of the armed forces.

The ceremony will feature remarks from Theis’ friend and political ally First Selectman Peter Tesei, who worked with him on the board for his entire tenure. State Rep. Fred Camillo (R-151st) the driving force behind getting the bridge named in memory of Theis will also speak, as will John Pugni, the former chief of the Cos Cob Volunteer Fire Company.

Pugni and Theis worked every year to put up the flags on the bridge and he said when the bridge name was made official in July that, “It’s the best thing that could have been done,” because of Theis’ love of his country and of the people fighting for it.

Speaking last week at the Board of Selectmen meeting, Tesei discussed the importance of the ceremony and urged people to attend to pay tribute to the beloved town native.

“We want to have a celebratory, uplifting occasion to commemorate this naming,” Tesei said.

Once the bridge’s new sign is formally unveiled and the bridge is dedicated with its new name, a reception will be held nearby at the St. Lawrence Club, which is located on 86 Valley Road, within walking distance of the bridge.

Full coverage of the dedication will appear online at www.greenwichtime.com and in the Aug. 31 edition of “Greenwich Time.”

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Bridge-to-be-renamed-Sunday-in-memory-of-Dave-6471737.php