By Anne W. Semmes
Throughout my tour of Pathways there was one name that cropped up often – Robert “Rob” Barricelli, the Senior Residential Counselor at Pathways. “He really is the historian for Pathways because he’s been with us the longest – 28 years,” told Pathways executive director Peter Tesei. “He takes the guys, anybody out walking. He takes a group out to Greenwich Point walking when he’s here on the weekends. They go to baseball games.” And likely Rob will take those keen clients to watch wrestling matches as Tesei plans to reach out to WWE for some tickets. So, no surprise on our Pathways tour when we entered its Success Club a client came up to Tesei asking, “Will Rob take us to see the wrestling?”
And each time I entered a Pathways group house there was an impressive fish tank. “Rob provides and maintains the fish tanks at three of our residences, and he’s working on another for the Success Club,” shared Tesei.
“He’s a very passionate guy,” noted Tesei. “He would love to talk to you. But he works two jobs as well as works for us here at Pathways.”
This reporter reached out to Rob. His definition of social work? “Doing as much as possible to make others less anxious and simply help them navigate this thing called life. That’s social work.” And “My clients at Davis and especially 509 East Putnam are like family. They need me and I need them. Like family.”
Rob figures he’ll work another 25 years at Pathways, “God Willing that will give me roughly 55 years total,” he says. “Not really work when you love what you do. Just living there with my extended family. All of us getting old together. I do overnight shift and evening shifts. Dinner and breakfast my favorite. I’m Italian so feeding the crew is my favorite. Recreation trips to Tod’s Point every Saturday morning for a long walk and something to snack on at the concession stand.”
Somehow, Rob, who lives in Newtown with his family, has the energy to work Monday through Thursday as a job coach with special needs teenagers at Bethel High School, and as an assistant social worker for the town of Bethel. “Every hour I can spare – rounds off my week.”
The model and influence of Rob’s life was the late Sidney Furie, the first Mental Health Coordinator of the Town of Greenwich. After he retired from the Town Furie served as Clinical Director for Pathways. “Sid is the closest thing I had to a dad in my life,” shares Rob. “He hired me 28 years ago. I used to work with teenagers right out of college as a counselor but got hired by Sid in 1994 to work at the Davis Avenue residence. The rest is history.
“Sid visited every residence and the Fellowship Club multiple times a week as the original Clinical Director. He had hugs and compassion for all the clients. Cigarettes and a pot of coffee to gather the guys. But nobody ever heard about Sid.
“Renee Bigler was the face and the money for Pathways. Sid was its heart and SOUL
His legacy lives on. All of the senior counselors try to remember his teachings, follow his example. He worked into his 90’s. He swam every morning at the YMCA for 50 + years.”
