Joseph Roger Cucinotta, 78, Shawnee, Kansas, entered the eternal presence of our Lord on January 15, 2019.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Anthony R. and Edith A. Cucinotta of Edgewater Park, NJ, and Sister Edith G. Crafton of Medford Lakes, NJ. He is survived by his brother Anthony, and wife Nancy of 50 years, and their sons Matthew, Paul, and Michael, daughters-in-law Beth and Danielle, and grandchildren Marissa, Nicolas, Joseph, Samuel, Mackenzie, and Adelaine.
Joe was born October 6, 1940, in Riverside, NJ, and grew up in Beverly, NJ. He graduated from Beverly High School, and worked alongside his father, uncles, and cousins at Wall Rope Works in Edgewater Park, NJ. Joe served his community as a volunteer in the Beverly Rescue Squad for ten years. After a short stint in the Marines, and at the urging of his father, Joe attended and graduated from the Academy of Advanced Traffic with an associate degree in Transportation and Traffic Management. Soon after, he joined Sea-Land Services, Inc., where he spent 30 years helping transform the container shipping industry. He was instrumental in developing Sea-Land’s inter-modal operations on the west coast and he traveled extensively to the Far East in support of Sea-Land operations. After early assignments in Boston, MA, and in Trenton, Newark, and Elizabeth, NJ, Joe was transferred to Seattle, WA. He and his young family first moved to Kirkland, WA, in 1972 and then after a short two-year assignment in Oakland, CA, settled in Woodinville, WA, where they lived for more than two decades. They were founding members of St. Jude Catholic Parrish in Redmond, WA, where Joe served on the Parrish Counsel and in the Knights of Columbus. He loved boating and as active members of the Oak Harbor Yacht club he and his family spent vacations gunkholing in the San Juan Islands. Following his retirement from Sea-Land, Joe continued to serve the community as a teacher’s aide at Ben Rush Elementary School in Redmond, WA.
In 2007, Joe and Nancy moved to Spokane, WA, where they were active at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Again, Joe served on the Parrish Counsel and with the Knights of Columbus. Joe and Nancy recently moved to Shawnee, KS, to live with their son Matthew.
Joe will best be remembered as a loving and devoted father, a faithful servant to the Catholic community, and as a proud and staunch supporter of the U.S. Military. We will all miss him dearly.
A visitation will be offered for Joseph Monday January 21st beginning 10:00 with a Rosary at 10:40 with a Memorial Mass following at 11:00, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 11311 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Sisters of Mary Mother of the Church (www.sistersofmarymc.org/honorary-and-memorial-gifts) or charity of choice.