Gonsalves v. City of West Haven

This case requires us to decide whether the plaintiff, Lucille Gonsalves, is entitled to benefits under the police pension fund1 of the named defendant, the city of West Haven, as a consequence of her marriage to the decedent, Luis J. Gonsalves, a former member of the West Haven police department. The plaintiff applied to the defendant West Haven police *19pension board (pension board) for benefits under the fund. The pension board denied the application, concluding that the plaintiff is not a “widow” as defined by the special act (act)2 establishing the fund’s eligibility criteria. The…