David Lingua Recalled As an All-Time Windsor Locks Athletic Great

WINDSOR LOCKS, CT — As word spread around town Sunday and Monday about the fatal fire at a Windsor Locks condominium complex, memories began circulating about the legendary athlete who perished in that blaze.

David Lingua was among the members of the inaugural class of the Windsor Locks Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. He was inducted along with his dad, Dr. Peter Lingua, becoming the first of what is now 11 parent/child/sibling/relative combinations to be enshrined.

"When the discussion of who was the best athlete ever in Windsor Locks, David's name is first on everyone's lips.," said Dave Farr, assistant chairman of the Hall of Fame. "It is my opinion and shared by many that David was the best athlete in Windsor Locks history."

Lingua is the all-time leader scorer in Windsor Locks High School basketball history, amassing over 1,300 points and averaging 21 points a game his senior season. He scored 40 points in a single game his junior year, a record that stood for 10 years, and was named to the All-State team his final two seasons and the All-Conference team three times. He helped the Raiders to the 1961 Class S championship game, where they were edged 59-55 by Bloomfield.

He was also a prolific power hitter in baseball, cranking out 10 home runs his senior year. An anecdote on the Hall of Fame website recalls, "The home run that he hit from the old varsity baseball field onto the roof of the supermarket in Dexter’s Plaza was a Ruthian moment that is still talked about today."

Lingua even participated in one track meet as a senior, earning a varsity letter in the process by winning three events and setting the school javelin record. At one time, he held 20 Raider athletic records.

He entered Fairfield University and played two seasons of basketball, then played for the Stags' golf team. After his college career, he continued to excel at golf, winning many local tournaments. He set a course record at Greenfield Country Club by firing a 64, a mark which stood for 30 years.

Brian McKeown, a 2013 Hall of Famer, said, "He was a couple of years behind me, but we played together under coach Al Shapiro. He was the best all-around athlete Windsor Locks ever produced: a superb basketball player, and shortstop on the baseball team."

As a first baseman, McKeown was the recipient of many throws across the diamond from Lingua.

"He threw a heavy ball, and after every game, my hand was throbbing," McKeown recalled. "He was a remarkable athlete."

"The loss of David was tragic, and the Windsor Locks Athletic Hall of Fame committee sends its condolences to his family," Hall of Fame president Peter Juszczynski said. "For Windsor Locks sports enthusiasts, David Lingua will always be considered one of the finest all-around athletes the town ever produced. His selection as part of the inaugural class of 2005 shows the respect for his natural abilities and athletic career."

McKeown's final recollection brought back visions of a truly bygone era.

"One of my fondest memories is the Lingua household had a basketball court in the backyard, when nobody else did. We would play games until all hours of the night, then drink all the Coke we wanted to our heart's delight."

Funeral arrangements for Lingua have not yet been completed.

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