Irving Barlia of Newtown passed away May 7 in Bethel, Connecticut, at age 83.

Beloved by family and friends, Irv was born July 15, 1941, in Bronx, New York, and grew up on Sheridan Avenue off the Grand Concourse near Yankee Stadium. He graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in history from City College of New York and a master’s degree in educational counseling from New York University. Irv spent much of his career as a guidance counselor at Ridgefield High School and previously counseled students at Ridgebury Elementary School.

At Taft High School in the Bronx in 1959, Irv pitched a no-hitter that was written about in The New York Times. He subsequently suffered an injury to his pitching arm and switched to tennis and cycling for decades.

At age 62, Irv decided to begin pitching again, throwing his sharp-breaking curveball in a Connecticut summer league against athletes in their 20s and 30s. He also played in baseball tournaments in Cooperstown, N.Y., and in Florida, where he pitched and batted against largely younger players and former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee. Irv liked to tell nearly everyone he met that his name was “Irv the Curve.”

Besides his love for pitching, Irv was an accomplished photographer. He photographed weddings and took captivating pictures of locals during his travels to Vietnam and other Asian countries. In 2021, Irv’s photos were displayed in an exhibition entitled “The Many Faces of Asia” at Newtown Municipal Center.

Irv served in the National Guard during the 1960s and lived with his wife Barbara in Yonkers and Fairfield, Mass., before moving to Newtown after Barbara died. He always championed the underdog, the oppressed and the state of Israel. Irv’s hero was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax, and he sometimes signed his name as Sandy Koufax when checking into a hotel.

Irv is survived by his partner Pat Oliver and her children, who loved Irv dearly and took care of him in recent years. He also is survived by his nephew Brian, nieces Ruthann and Marcia, great nieces and great nephews, and step grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation in Irv’s name to the Alzheimer Association.