Anthony Cusumano, longtime deacon, dies at 80

Anthony P. Cusumano is described by his family as a man with a sense of humor who told jokes even while he battled an aggressive form of lung cancer.

Cusumano, who had mesothelioma for about a year, died in his Oakdale home Thursday. He was 80.

Cusumano worked a decade as a security supervisor for the former Franklin General Hospital in Valley Stream, then 35 years for Pan American World Airways as a unit manager before the airline failed. His true calling, however, was serving the Roman Catholic Church as a deacon, said his son-in-law Frederick Bianculli, 53, of Islip.

At St. John Nepomucene in Bohemia, Cusumano ran the Witness Housing program, which provides counseling and assistance to single-parent families. He also assisted the parish's rites of initiation program.

"He always had a passion to help others and it became real easy for him to do what he loved to do and that was to help people," Bianculli said.

Born July 22, 1934, he joined the Air Force in 1953 shortly after graduating high school. He met his wife, Joann, in Pittsburgh during the last of his four years of service. The couple married in 1957 in Joann's hometown of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, then moved to Howard Beach in Queens. There he first served as a deacon at St. Helen Roman Catholic Church from 1987 to 1999.

His daughter, Gina Marie Bianculli, said her father "was a wonderful example of selflessness and how to live a life filled with faith, love and service to God. His legacy will live on in our hearts."

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Asked to describe her husband of nearly 57 years, Joann Cusumano said: "I would like to say a lot but we'd be here forever. My life was enriched a hundredfold by him. He was loved by everyone he came in contact with."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Cusumano is survived by son, Anthony Joseph; brother, Frank Cusumano, 75, of Hollywood, Fla.; and four grandchildren.

Visitation will be at Raynor & D'Andrea Funeral Home, 245 Montauk Hwy., West Sayville, Sunday from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The Mass of Transferral will be at 8 p.m. Sunday at St. John Nepomucene Church. The funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Monday at St. John Nepomucene Church. Interment will follow in the Bohemia parish cemetery.

The family asked donations be made in his name to St. John Nepocemene parish outreach and the St. John Neponmecem witness housing, 1140 Locust Ave., Bohemia. 11716.