The Connecticut veterans community lost one of its most devoted advocates with the passing of Michael A. Rogalsky, who died on March 11, 2026, at the hospice unit of the. For decades, Mike dedicated his life to honoring veterans, preserving their stories, and ensuring that the men and women who served the United States were remembered in the communities they defended. Prayers for his Wife of 58 years Nancy and his family. The Veteran community feels this great loss.

Born on December 26, 1946, Mike grew into a man whose life would become inseparable from service to fellow veterans. His experience serving in the United States Army during the Vietnam War era shaped the values that guided the rest of his life. Like many veterans of that generation, he understood the challenges service members faced when returning home. That understanding became the foundation for his lifelong commitment to advocacy, remembrance, and community leadership.

For the Connecticut Veterans Bulletin, Mike held a special place in its history. He was the first contributing veteran when CVB was created to solve a problem long experienced by veterans in that there had never been a single dependable source listing veterans programs, events, and resources. Mike believed in that mission from the beginning. His early support helped establish a publication that would grow into an important voice for Connecticut’s veterans community.

Those who worked beside him quickly learned that Mike believed service to veterans was not something that happened only on holidays or during ceremonies. It was work that needed to be done every day.

In Middletown and across the state, Mike became widely respected for his leadership and commitment to veterans. His work earned recognition throughout Connecticut. In 2015 he was named Connecticut State American Legion Adjutant of the Year and received the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce William J. Pomfret Veteran Community Service Award. That same year, they recognized him as a Hometown Hero for his tireless dedication to community service.

His efforts to honor fallen service members reached beyond Middletown. In 2016, a Congressman presented Mike with the Fallen Star Award for his role in helping bring the Fallen Star Memorial and the Global War on Terror Wall of Remembrance to Connecticut. Those memorials ensured that the sacrifices of Americans lost in modern conflicts would always be remembered.

Mike also devoted significant effort to preserving the history of military service in his own community. He became a life member of the Military Museum Building Committee in 2005 and joined its board of directors in 2006. As a member of the City Military Museum Building Committee, he helped guide the construction of the museum’s permanent facility, which opened in 2019. The museum now serves as a permanent record of the service and sacrifice of local veterans.

His commitment to veterans extended into statewide advocacy. Beginning in 2016, Mike served on the Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, where he worked on legislation and programs affecting veterans throughout Connecticut. His advocacy helped strengthen services available to those who had worn the nation’s uniform.

Within Middletown itself, Mike helped ensure that veterans were visibly honored throughout the community. He worked on planning, fundraising, and installing monuments on Veterans Green dedicated to those who served in conflicts after Vietnam. He also helped secure a memorial honoring Blue Star and Gold Star families, recognizing the sacrifices carried by military families alongside those who served in uniform.

But perhaps the place where Mike’s dedication was most visible was the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown.

For years, Mike served as the coordinating veteran responsible for organizing the placement and retrieval of thousands of American flags placed on graves there for Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Regardless of weather, personal commitments, or the demands of his own life, he made sure that every veteran buried there was properly honored.

He was there early in the morning when flags were placed.

He was there again when the work of collecting them was done.

And he was there for every ceremony held at the cemetery.

Mike also became one of the strongest advocates for the Wreaths Across America program at the cemetery. Each December, volunteers gather across the country to place wreaths on the graves of veterans. In Middletown, Mike worked tirelessly to expand participation in the program.

His goal was clear and deeply personal.

He wanted every veteran buried at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery to have a wreath placed on their grave every December.

For those who volunteered alongside him, the sight of Mike working at the cemetery became a constant. Whether organizing volunteers, preparing ceremonies, or ensuring that each grave received the recognition it deserved, he approached the work with quiet determination.

He did not seek attention.

He simply believed that honoring veterans was a duty.

Mike’s dedication extended beyond veterans memorials and ceremonies. In 2018 he helped restore a meaningful civic tradition to Middletown by partnering with federal officials and the local Elks Lodge to bring United States citizenship naturalization ceremonies back to the city. For Mike, welcoming new citizens represented another way to honor the freedoms veterans had defended.

Throughout his life, Mike became a trusted friend, mentor, and advocate within the Connecticut veterans community. His presence at events, ceremonies, and volunteer efforts was steady and dependable. Those who worked beside him knew that if there was work to be done for veterans, Mike would be there.

The community he served so faithfully will now gather to honor him.

Service Announcements

Visiting hours will be held at Biega Funeral Home on Sunday, March 29, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A Mass will be celebrated at on Monday, March 30, at 10:30 a.m.

Following the Mass, Mike will be laid to rest at the State Veterans Cemetery.

It is fitting that he will rest among the very veterans he spent so many years honoring.

Those who knew Mike understand the meaning behind the simple request now shared among friends and fellow veterans: Mike was always there for every ceremony, every flag placement, every wreath placement, and every moment when veterans were remembered.

Now the community he served has the opportunity to be there for him.

The flags that fly over the graves at the State Veterans Cemetery, the wreaths placed each December, the memorials he helped create, and the museum he helped build all stand as lasting reminders of his dedication.

The life of Michael A. Rogalsky is defined by service that continued long after his time in uniform. His work ensured that veterans were honored, their stories preserved, and their sacrifices remembered.

His legacy will continue in every ceremony, every memorial, and every act of remembrance that keeps faith with those who served.

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