Obituary: John Cuccinello

John Cuccinello, 75, passed away Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, in Prescott, Arizona. He was born Oct. 27, 1939, in New York City, New York, to John and Margaret (Ferriaolo) Cuccinello. He spent most of his career working for Union Carbide/First Brands Corp. in various technical and managerial positions. His early work was in research & development and ended as product safety manager for consumer products.

In 1977, he married Suzanne (Sue) Schlegel, his wife of 38 years. They resided in the New York/Connecticut area until 1997. They moved to Prescott, Arizona, after retirement and took on the endeavor of building their own home. They traveled with their RV friends and enjoyed taking cruises whenever possible.

In between traveling, John was able to squeeze in two organ transplants (liver in 2004 and kidney in 2009) and an aortic valve replacement (2009). He would often say those events were "just one more thing for his resume." He was actively involved with the Prescott Area Organ Transplant Support Group promoting organ donation awareness and encouraging other potential donors and recipients. John was an inspiration to all of us with his unending love of life.

He is survived by his wife Sue; daughter Margaret Ann; son John; and two granddaughters, Bianca and Gianna. He is also survived by his sister Ann Catalano; brothers Pete and Henry (Terry) Cuccinello; sisters-in-law Angela Cuccinello and Carol Abate; brothers-in-law Don (Linda), Herb (Choon-Mi), and Ron (Hildy) Schlegel; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Neil, sister-in-law Anna Cuccinello, brothers-in-law Patrick Catalano and Vito Abate, and niece Teresa Gleason.

John fought many medical foes, but recently they outnumbered him. Thus, he laid down his sword and is now resting and at peace. His love of life was evident in his use of humor when it came to his difficulties, and compassion when encouraging others.

The Cuccinello family would like to thank all of the YRMC doctors who took great care of John, especially Dr. Fred Markham and his staff for their great care, professionalism, and compassion. Thanks also to Dr. R. Nica and the Fresenius dialysis team.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in John's name to your local EMTs and local firehouse or to Donor Network of Arizona at www.dnaz.org. During his life, John encouraged everyone to "Give the Gift of Life" by becoming an organ donor.

John will be cremated and await to be reunited with his wife Sue, where they will remain together forever scattered among the trees and wildflowers on the old family farm in Greenville, New York. A Celebration of Life will take place at a later date.

Funeral services were entrusted to Wakelin Family Funeral Homes. Please visit www.ruffnerwakelin.com to view and sign John's guestbook.

Information provided by survivors.