Carmen A. Cesta's Obituary
Carmen A. Cesta, 95, passed to the Lord in the embrace of his family on Wednesday, April 3, 2019. A lifelong resident of Syracuse, Carmen was born in Collelongo, L’Aquila in Abruzzi region of Italy. At an early age, Carmen, along with his parents, Vincenzo and Rosa, Made the north side of Syracuse their home. As with many others, schools, Our Lady of Pompei Parish, Schiller Park, The Globe Theatre and Pond Street Hill were where friends were found together. Mr. Cesta served in the U.S. Coast Guard, and in 1946 married MaryAnn Tucci, a marriage that lasted for nearly 64 years until Mary’s passing in 2009. Being not-to-distant neighbors from Culbert Street and Becker Street, their north side story of marriage, family and friends would reach into many years. Carmen earned degrees in physical education, teaching and administration from Ithaca College and Syracuse University, leading up to in later years becoming an assistant superintendent in the Syracuse school district. He also in his career had experience as a counselor and school district hearing officer. Carmen’s time was spent with family teaching, part-time work, coaching football and baseball as well as refereeing basketball. Well known and appreciated as being very likeable and fun-loving, “Mr. Cesta”, as he always was called, even in much later years, was remembered by former students, team players and those he encouraged in academic pursuits or skilled trades. His affiliation with the Syracuse Teachers Association, Chapter 30 of the Disabled American Veterans, the Phi Epsilon Kappa Fraternity and the “Old Northside Gang” lasted many years. Carmen enjoyed a special avocation in building and maintaining family homes in Syracuse, Tuscarora Lake, Jensen Beach, Florida and Skaneateles Lake. If not and educator, he would have just as surely have been in the building trades. Carmen always was proud to have been one of the first altar servers at Our Lady of Pompei Church for Msgr. William Walsh. The thread of treasuring the practice of the Catholic faith was woven through the family life and marriage of Carmen and Mary.
Special thanks to the 8th floor staff at the VA Medical Center.
He is predeceased by his wife, MaryAnn Cesta in 2009. Carmen is survived by his son, Father James Cesta; daughter, Ann (Mark) Lepkowski; son, Michael (Angela) Cesta; grandchildren, Brian (Diane) Lepkowski, Alyse (Michael) DiLuzio, Michelle (Chad) Hjort and Carmen Cesta; great-grandchildren, Michael Hjort, Julliano Hjort, Carmella Hjort and Celia DiLuzio; his sister, Laura Dausman; brother, Armand Cesta, along with several nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass in celebration of Carmen’s life will be held at 9:30 am on Saturday, April 6, 2019 in Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church, 301 Ash St., Syracuse, NY. Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, DeWitt. Family and friends may call from 4:00 – 7:00 pm on Friday, April 5, 2019 at THOMAS J. PIRRO JR. FUNERAL HOME, 3401 Vickery Rd. (corner of Buckley Rd.) North Syracuse, NY.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Carmen and Mary Cesta bequest to Our Lady of Pompei/St. Peter Church or the Community Living Center at the VA Medical Center, 800 Irving Ave., Syracuse, NY.
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