John and Phyllis Machledt have been named recipients of the second annual Robert Lessler Citizenship Award, recognizing their decades of volunteer service and commitment to the common good.
The award presentation will take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, in the Easton Public Library Community Room. The public is invited to attend.
The Robert Lessler Citizenship Award honors outstanding service that improves the lives of Easton residents through sustained and meaningful acts of public benefit. Recipients’ names are added to a permanent plaque in Town Hall, alongside a collection of books on Easton’s history, politics and citizenship available for borrowing.
The selection committee includes former Selectman Robert Lessler, for whom the award is named, John Cunningham, Jim Riling, Maureen Williams and Wendy Bowditch. Last year’s honoree Adrienne Burke, owner of Greiser’s Coffee & Market, also joined the committee this year.
“This year we received 13 nominations, all representing impressive dedication to our town,” said Lessler. “Selecting a winner was no easy feat.”
The Machledts, who have lived in Easton for 47 years, are lifelong volunteers with deep ties to community organizations, education, health care and faith-based service.
John Machledt, a retired endocrinologist, practiced medicine from 1975 to 2014 and served as chief of endocrinology at Bridgeport Hospital. He was president of the medical staff, chaired the executive committee, and later volunteered with the AmeriCares Free Medical Clinic for eight years. A longtime Eagle Scout and former scoutmaster for Easton’s Troop 66, he has mentored 10 Eagle Scouts and participated in Habitat for Humanity projects in Connecticut and several other states.
Phyllis Machledt, a retired educator, has served on the Easton and Region 9 boards of education, the Library Board of Trustees, and the Friends of the Easton Library. She directed service learning and volunteer programs at Sacred Heart University for 14 years and was instrumental in founding Habitat for Humanity of Bridgeport, where she served as president and volunteer coordinator.
Her work with the Golden Hill United Methodist Church in Bridgeport includes co-chairing the Society and Missions Committee, which oversees a weekly community supper program that has served hot meals for more than four decades. She has also helped coordinate youth volunteer initiatives, mentoring programs, and the annual “Adopt a Family” holiday drive benefiting dozens of Bridgeport families.
Phyllis has received numerous awards for her civic leadership, including the Anne Lindquist Award from the Easton Friends of the Library in 2023, the Girl Scout Woman of Distinction Award in 2002, and the Ruth Steinkraus-Cohen Outstanding Women of Connecticut Award in 2001.
This year, the Machledts organized a community effort that brought together local scouts, the National Charity League, and Friends of the Easton Library volunteers to move more than 300 boxes of donated books to the library.
“John and Phyllis embody what this award stands for—a lifetime of service that uplifts others and strengthens the community,” said Lessler.
The award ceremony will honor the Machledts’ contributions and celebrate civic engagement in Easton.
