Submitted by Charles Hager - 1962 <hager5@outlook.com> on 17/Oct/2017 108.75.157.246
Carmine “Carmen” Anthony DeCrosta, Jr. passed away on Sunday, October 15
surrounded by his loving family and friends after a long battle with cancer. He
is survived by his soulmate of 47 years, Conchetta “Connie” (Amorosi) DeCrosta
of Flagler Beach, Florida, his son Joseph “Joe” T. DeCrosta of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, his daughter-in-law, Maria Walsh DeCrosta and grandchildren Ethan
and Helen of Pittsburgh, sister Catherine (DeCrosta) Hein, and brother, Marino
DeCrosta of Newburgh, NY. He leaves behind countless cousins, nieces, nephews
and friends who cherished their time with him. A native of Newburgh, NY, Carmen
was born on February 2, 1946, to Josephine (Macaluso) DeCrosta and Carmen
DeCrosta, Sr. He attended South Junior High where he met his life-long partner,
Connie, and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1964. He and Connie married
on April 26, 1970 and were “like peanut butter and jelly” for 47 years. Carmen
and Connie retired to Flagler Beach, Florida to his dream location one block
away from the beach. Carmen possessed an enviable zest for life (and an
incomprehensible admiration of Aldi’s). There was no limit to the love and
support that he gave to his wife and son; family and friends were touched by his
vibrant presence. Carmen had a knack for making the simplest experiences in life
fun, exciting, and filled with laughter, even in his final days. The consummate
fashion plate, his wardrobe was unmatched, but it wasn’t unusual to see Carmen
sporting a necktie tied around his head or his belt swinging in hand on the
wedding dance floor. A chef and baker at heart, Carmen was a local “celebrity
chef” and “foodie” even before the Food Channel made it a thing. He created his
own catering business to support his son’s college education while working in
sales for Sunshine Cookie Company and Ferolie Corp. He worked as a baker at the
Grand Union Company, developed his own specialty cake business, and served as a
security guard (and resident cook) for the Newburgh Enlarged City School
District prior to his retirement. Carmen loved being retired, as he was able to
clean and organize for about 3 hours a day, cook for 3 and beach it for 4, all
while spending each and every moment with the love of his life. Judge Marilyn
Milian (Peoples’ Court) would be proud of his unabashed penchant for televised
court shows as an authentic form of daily entertainment (his wife, not so much).
And the kitchen/household gadget department on Amazon just lost its best
customer. Carmen’s warm and welcoming approach instantly drew in people from all
walks of life. His love for a good recipe and his famous pizzelle cookies were
his culinary trademarks, and his passion for the sun, sand, and water were
always well documented by his epic Hawaiian Tropics tan. World travel was also
high on his list, and he was able explore a few destinations that many do not.
Carmen’s absence will be felt in the lives of many, but his presence will
reverberate forever… [Florida] Carmen’s life will be celebrated on Friday,
October 20 at 11am at St. Joseph Discalced Carmelite Monastery, 141 Carmelite
Drive, Bunnell, Florida. [Newburgh, New York] Carmen’s life will be celebrated
on Saturday, October 28 at 10:30am at Sacred Heart Church, 301 Ann St.,
Newburgh, New York. His family would like to especially thank Dr. Padmaja Sai,
Marie McCormick, RN, and the staff at Florida Cancer Specialists, and all of the
caring professionals at VITAS Hospice Healthcare. Because of Carmen’s extended
battle with the complications of advanced prostate cancer, in lieu of flowers,
the family is requesting donations to the Robin Cole Foundation for Prostate
Cancer in Carmen’s name. Donations can be mailed to: 4017 Washington Rd., PMB
352, McMurray, PA 15317, or accessed online at:
www.robincolefoundation.org/donate/ Carmine Anthony DeCrosta -
February 02, 1946 - October 15, 2017.
Carmine “Carmen” Anthony DeCrosta, Jr. passed away on Sunday, October 15
surrounded by his loving family and friends after a long battle with cancer. He
is survived by his soulmate of 47 years, Conchetta “Connie” (Amorosi) DeCrosta
of Flagler Beach, Florida, his son Joseph “Joe” T. DeCrosta of Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, his daughter-in-law, Maria Walsh DeCrosta and grandchildren Ethan
and Helen of Pittsburgh, sister Catherine (DeCrosta) Hein, and brother, Marino
DeCrosta of Newburgh, NY. He leaves behind countless cousins, nieces, nephews
and friends who cherished their time with him. A native of Newburgh, NY, Carmen
was born on February 2, 1946, to Josephine (Macaluso) DeCrosta and Carmen
DeCrosta, Sr. He attended South Junior High where he met his life-long partner,
Connie, and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1964. He and Connie married
on April 26, 1970 and were “like peanut butter and jelly” for 47 years. Carmen
and Connie retired to Flagler Beach, Florida to his dream location one block
away from the beach. Carmen possessed an enviable zest for life (and an
incomprehensible admiration of Aldi’s). There was no limit to the love and
support that he gave to his wife and son; family and friends were touched by his
vibrant presence. Carmen had a knack for making the simplest experiences in life
fun, exciting, and filled with laughter, even in his final days. The consummate
fashion plate, his wardrobe was unmatched, but it wasn’t unusual to see Carmen
sporting a necktie tied around his head or his belt swinging in hand on the
wedding dance floor. A chef and baker at heart, Carmen was a local “celebrity
chef” and “foodie” even before the Food Channel made it a thing. He created his
own catering business to support his son’s college education while working in
sales for Sunshine Cookie Company and Ferolie Corp. He worked as a baker at the
Grand Union Company, developed his own specialty cake business, and served as a
security guard (and resident cook) for the Newburgh Enlarged City School
District prior to his retirement. Carmen loved being retired, as he was able to
clean and organize for about 3 hours a day, cook for 3 and beach it for 4, all
while spending each and every moment with the love of his life. Judge Marilyn
Milian (Peoples’ Court) would be proud of his unabashed penchant for televised
court shows as an authentic form of daily entertainment (his wife, not so much).
And the kitchen/household gadget department on Amazon just lost its best
customer. Carmen’s warm and welcoming approach instantly drew in people from all
walks of life. His love for a good recipe and his famous pizzelle cookies were
his culinary trademarks, and his passion for the sun, sand, and water were
always well documented by his epic Hawaiian Tropics tan. World travel was also
high on his list, and he was able explore a few destinations that many do not.
Carmen’s absence will be felt in the lives of many, but his presence will
reverberate forever… [Florida] Carmen’s life will be celebrated on Friday,
October 20 at 11am at St. Joseph Discalced Carmelite Monastery, 141 Carmelite
Drive, Bunnell, Florida. [Newburgh, New York] Carmen’s life will be celebrated
on Saturday, October 28 at 10:30am at Sacred Heart Church, 301 Ann St.,
Newburgh, New York. His family would like to especially thank Dr. Padmaja Sai,
Marie McCormick, RN, and the staff at Florida Cancer Specialists, and all of the
caring professionals at VITAS Hospice Healthcare. Because of Carmen’s extended
battle with the complications of advanced prostate cancer, in lieu of flowers,
the family is requesting donations to the Robin Cole Foundation for Prostate
Cancer in Carmen’s name. Donations can be mailed to: 4017 Washington Rd., PMB
352, McMurray, PA 15317, or accessed online at:
