- Date Of Birth: January 19, 1942
- Date Of Death: January 22, 2022
- State: Michigan
John Joseph Cugnetti died peacefully at his home Saturday morning, January 22, 2022. He was born January 19, 1942, in Chicago, IL, son of Anthony V. and Jeanette M. (Ferraro) Cugnetti.
John’s father sacrificed his life in WWII when John and his siblings were very young. Their mother taught the value of caring deeply for your family, working hard, doing for others. John embraced these values and embodied them every single day.
John attended Catholic school in Chicago, and many stories will live on of his life and times with the nuns and brothers at St. Bonaventure and St. Michael’s. His Catholic faith has always been central in his life. He served as an altar boy, an usher, a lector, and aspiring choir member. The seed was planted early and his faith comforted him at the end.
After high school John enlisted in the Marines as a reservist. He was stationed at multiple outposts, and again many stories come from those years of his proud service. During these years John also earned his pilot’s license and began his love affair with aircraft.
He attended college at Roosevelt University after his discharge and met his future bride waiting in line to register for classes. As a captive audience, she fell victim to his many charms…and so began the true love affair of his life. John and Sharyn married in 1969 and started their family, the proudest accomplishment of his life. He started his career with Mobil Oil which brought the Cugnettis to Dayton, Ohio, and then Portage, Michigan.
He created Great Lakes Lubricants and ran his own business for 35 years. Among the many things that put that big smile on his face, he enjoyed dancing, jogging, sailing, coaching soccer, cycling and being Papa. He served as a docent at the Air Zoo, sharing his enthusiasm for flight. We cherished our funny dad, as did all his other honorary kids who loved to be near him.
John was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Anthony Cugnetti. On December 6, 1969, John married the former Sharyn E. Booth, who survives. Also surviving are his children, Laura Jeanne Reynolds, Michael Thomas (Casey Pfister) Cugnetti, and Joseph Anthony (Kimberly) Cugnetti; grandchildren, Willa June Reynolds, Greta Rose Reynolds, Carter Michael Cugnetti, and Carson Joseph Cugnetti; and sister, Theresa (John) Matusek.
