Richard A. Zeccola

Richard Zeccola passed away on February 20, 2013, at Lourdes Hospital, in the loving company of family. Richard is survived by his wife Ruth, and their five children, Mark, Matthew, Maureen, Michael, and Martin. He is the beloved “Opa” to his six grandchildren, Abigail, Madison, Malena, Mitchell, Zachary and Jacob, with a seventh grandchild on the way. He is father-in-law to Candace, Marcie, Marc, and Monica. Richard was born on April 29, 1940, in Corona, NY. He is the son of Santina and Anthony Zeccola. A graduate of Xavier High School in NYC, he attended the University of Pennsylvania on a football scholarship, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering. He began work at GE in Erie, PA, where he met his wonderful wife Ruth, his love of 50 years. The family moved to Endwell, NY, where Richard was employed by IBM. He went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Engineering from SUNY, Binghamton. He retired from IBM after 20 years as a Senior Project Engineer. Richard then worked as a stockbroker, after whom he became the caretaker of Nuthatch Hollow Bird Sanctuary in Vestal - his dream job of 22 years. Richard loved sports. While his boys where young he coached Little League in both Endwell and Endicott. He enjoyed taking his kids to local Broome Duster games, to Yankee Stadium, and to Giants Stadium. He treated his family to many extravagant vacations, including taking all seventeen Zeccolas to Walt Disney World in 2009 and 2011. These are precious memories that we will always cherish. He visited 48 of the 50 states, but his favorite destination was always Vegas, Baby! He loved Blackjack, buffets, Frank Sinatra, and The Oldies. He enjoyed growing vegetables in his ever-expanding backyard garden. A dedicated fan of the NY Giants, he taught us all how to yell at our favorite teams while still holding them close. We are grateful to the staff at Lourdes Hospital for their care of our father in his final days. Richard had a passion for life, family, and friends, and was loved dearly. Words cannot express how much he will be missed. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday 9:30 am from the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, followed by a Funeral Mass at Church of the Holy Family at 10 am. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, Monday from 4-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, please visit www.pcf.org, to make a donation to the Prostrate Cancer Foundation in Richard’s memory.