OBITUARY John L. Cusolito September 18, 1927 – August 31, 2018 CUSOLITO, John “Jack” Lincoln, born September 18, 1927, died at home on the morning of August 31st, 2018, having lived a long and full life. To family, he was reasoned, disciplined, devoted, and loving. To those with whom he worked, he was a good judge of character, a man with a strong moral compass.
To his granddogs, he was a reliable and enthusiastic of treats and table scraps. He was a passionate football player and fan, followed a routine, exercised and enjoyed a beer daily for almost all of his nearly 91 years. He remained close with his childhood neighborhood friends (“the gang”) for the duration of each of their lives and spoke often about the importance of family.
Jack was the middle son of Ruth (Vlasto) Cusolito, whom, without irony, he called “a saint”, and Dominic Cusolito, who emigrated to Boston from the small island of Salina, Italy as a teenager. In the final years of WWII, Jack took leave from Arlington High School to join the Coast Guard, where he was stationed on the USS General William Weigel in the South Pacific. After graduating, Jack remained in the Boston area to work for the family business, Tower Root Beer, and went on to become President while working alongside his brothers, the late Richard D. and Paul P. Cusolito.
When the company closed in the 1970s, he went on to work for PepsiCo holding various positions including President of Pepsi Cola Puerto Rico and culminating with Vice President of Manufacturing, PepsiCo United Beverages International. After his retirement, he relocated to the Cape where he worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Cape Cod. Jack could often be found at the Cape Cod Canal, watching the ships go by.
He was the loving husband of Janet (Madden) Cusolito of Bourne, MA and father of Johanna Kahmke (Russel) of Durham, NC and Kara Cusolito (Aaron Munzer) of Hector, NY. He also leaves behind a granddaughter. He was predeceased by his first wife Shirley, with whom he raised four children: Judy Kreamer of Thornton, NH; William Cusolito of Wilmington, NC; John Cusolito (Anne) of Reading, MA and Donna Ryan of Plymouth, NH.
He also leaves behind 6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Services will be held on Friday, September 14th with calling hours from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home 154 Route 6A in Sandwich, followed by a 12:45 p.m. interment at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to charities held dear to Jack: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105) or the Wounded Warrior Project (PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675).
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