Dante James Vaghi, Bethel's UFO Expert, Passes Away

Dante James Vaghi died March 25, 2011 in Bethel among family and friends. The wake will be held at Bethel Funeral Home on Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. The funeral will be at St. Mary's Church in Bethel on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

Dante entertained family and friends with lively stories of his life. He was a self-proclaimed UFO expert, having seen his first UFO in the skies over Bethel in 1950. He was easy to spot around town in his custom-made jackets, jumpsuits and hats, identifying him as The UFO Pioneer. His frequent haunts were the Sycamore, Varanos, Bethel Pizza House, Jacquelines, and Bethel Food Market, among others.

Dante is survived by a daughter, Maureen, and son, Kevin, and four grandchildren. He was the son of Joseph and Battistina Vaghi, and was the fifth of 10 children, all born at the family homestead in Bethel.

He was a graduate of Bethel High School. He honorably served the country as a member of the U.S. Air Force (1941 to 1946), alongside his four brothers who served concurrently during World War II.

Also along with many of his brothers, he joined his father in the family business, The Vaghi Woodworking Co., Bethel, spending his entire working life at the shop. His workbench looked out to the old Bethel Train Station, and he saluted the conductor with each train that rolled through.

He was a participant in many Memorial and Columbus Day parades through town, standing on his float beside the replicas of the UFO's he created at the shop. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Pope John Paul II Care and Rehabilitation Center, Danbury.