Obituary of Richard J. Ciocco

Richard J. Ciocco, 93, formerly of VanDyke Avenue, passed away early Wednesday morning at St. Mary?s Hospital. He had been a resident of the Hillcrest Springs Adult Home. Born in Amsterdam on July 20, 1913, the son of Nicola and Modesta D?Onofrio Ciocco, he was a 1931 graduate of Wilbur H. Lynch High School. Prior to World War II, he worked at Bigelow Sanford Carpet Company. He entered the US Army in 1943 and served as a captain in the European Theater of operations. He received the Victory Medal and two Battle Stars for service in Italy and Sicily. He retired in 1979 from a career as a television technician for Sears in Albany. In his later years, Richard was an accomplished artist and exhibited many of his oil paintings throughout the city. He was a devout daily communicant of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church. On February 20, 1943, he was united in marriage to the former Winifred Sluzarz. She predeceased him in 1970. His loving family includes his daughter, Linda and her husband Francis Gallup of Gloversville; his dear grandsons, Vincent Mascardi and his wife Rhonda and Richard Mascardi and his wife Rosa; great grandsons, Vincent Mascardi III and Matteo Mascardi; a brother, Robert Ciocco of San Rafael, CA and a dear cousin, Livia Saracini of Amsterdam; nieces, Mary Ellen Corrado, Krista Ciocco and Susan Jaksta; and nephews, Arthur Ciocco and John Jaksta. He was predeceased by his sisters, Filomena Dargush and Clorinda Jaksta, and a brother, Arthur Ciocco. Services are Saturday at 8:15 am at the Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Family Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Avenue, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 9:15 am at St. Michael the Archangel Church with Fr. Lawrence J. Decker, celebrant. Interment is in St. Michael?s Cemetery with military honors. Calling hours are Friday from 4-7 pm at the funeral home. Contributions may be made in his memory to St. Michael?s Memorial Fund or the National Shrine of North American Martyrs, Auriesville, both in care of the funeral home office.