There are many things that come to mind when people think about Bridgeport. Certainly, football and an overall outstanding sports tradition comes up. It is likely quality schools, nice homes and some other items are also thoughts that may come to mind.

 

If the talk goes to food in Bridgeport –and sometimes even if it’s just talk about Bridgeport in general – there’s a good chance the words Twin Oaks is going to be mentioned. For nearly 60 years, The Twin Oaks Supper Club, as it’s officially known, has helped satisfy the palate of many an individual.

 

Count yours truly among that group. Many times, I’ve driven from my home in Clarksburg or stopped on my way home from work here in Bridgeport to grab a pizza, a hoagie and a salad from Twin Oaks for dinner. And when you enter the room with that armful of food and the aroma that comes with it, you’re suddenly the most popular person in the room.

 

I bring this up not as another blog about my favorite foods  (although Twin Oaks would certainly qualify) like I often do. I bring it up because this past week, the restaurant that has been a beacon along U.S. Route 50 in Bridgeport saw the end of an era come this past Sunday.

 

It was on May 10 that Michael Anthony Ielapi passed away at the age of 83. Sadly, his passing came two weeks after the passing of his sister Angela Ielapi – known to most as “Tootsie” – on April 27 at the age of 84. Under any circumstance, a family as large as that of the Ielapi family suffering deaths in such a short time period would be tragic. Considering the amount of love that both gave to those in their family and those that knew them beyond blood lines, it’s certainly sad news.

 

Yet, their passing is sad for Bridgeport. It’s sad for Harrison County and beyond. It’s sad not just because of the reasons above. It’s sad because, as I stated above, it marks the end of an era.

 

According to his recent obituary, Michael Ielapi founded Twin Oaks Restaurant in 1956 with his brothers Sam and Joe. They were part of a family of six children of the late Vincent and Susan Minard Ielapi. Tootsie was one of three sisters, along with Elizabeth Ielapi and Connie Shields, all of who are also deceased.

 

All six of the children of Vincent and Susan were intimately tied to the Twin Oaks Restaurant. If you were one of the children, you had a role with the eatery. If you were an offspring of one of the Ielapi six, then you worked at the restaurant in some capacity.

 

They were a big family. They still are a big family. The names of the family includes monikers such as Ielapi, Minard, Oliverio and so many others. It’s as if someone created this culinary family tree constructed of the world’s best pasta.

 

My friend and BHS Baseball Coach Robert Shields assured me that I had certainly met his Uncle Michael during one of my visits to Twin Oaks. He also assures me that I had met his Aunt Tootsie, who he said – until seven years ago – could be found running the concession stand at Bridgeport High School baseball games.

 

Tootsie, who was nicknamed by her father for tumbling and rolling on the bed like a Tootsie Roll, was in charge of the managers, the waiters, waitresses and staff. Michael Ielapi worked the night shift. A family member told me he arrived early in the evening, usually between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. He did all of the prep work for the upcoming day and didn’t leave until the next morning.

 

On Thursday, Michael Ielapi was laid to rest. Prior to that, in a very private ceremony, Angela “Tootsie” Ielapi was also laid to rest.

 

Both had lived into their 80s and both knew and touched many lives; many more than they may have imagined. In fact, just by being part of Twin Oaks, they helped build a place, maintain and sustain it that has provided joy for dare I say hundreds of thousands of people.

 

How do you measure that impact? How do you determine how much value there is in their lives’ work when you throw that into the equation of what you meant as a person beyond family and beyond those they readily knew?

 

You can’t. You can only say that they made a difference and without their presence Bridgeport is a little darker, yet everyone’s life was made brighter because of them.

 

They were part of the legacy of a business that is as identifiable to the Bridgeport community as anything that resides within its borders. They were the final of six brothers and sisters that created that legacy. And thanks to the work of them – and the continuing work of those in the family – that legacy lives on.

 

Rest in peace Michael and Angela “Tootsie” Ielapi. Your work here is complete.