Obituary of Francis A Curcio

Francis A Curcio, age 73 of Clinton Township, NJ, died Thursday, November 19, 2015 with his loving family by his side. Born in Newark, NJ, he was the son of the late Alfonso and Mary (Ray) Curcio. Frank grew up in Kearney, NJ where he was an early devotee of rock n’ roll music and especially loved Fats Domino, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and the Beatles. He continued to enjoy listening to music throughout his life. He graduated from Rutgers University with Bachelor’s degree and from Newark State College (Kean University) with a Master’s degree. He moved to Clinton Township 42 years ago. Frank was an educator and taught in the Manville School District for 27 years, before retiring from teaching in 1993 to begin a second career as a writer, historian and advocate for public education. He wrote a food and restaurant column for the Courier-News for 17 years. He belonged to the Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission as well as the Clinton Township Historical Commission. He wrote a history column for the Clinton Township newsletter and was the author of the book Hunterdon County’s Forgotten Lime Industry which won the “New Jersey Author’s Award” for non-fiction in 2008. He was working on a book on the history of the roads of New Jersey at the time of his death. Frank was an active member of the New Jersey Education Association and former president of the Somerset County Education Association. He continued to be an advocate for public education during his retirement. Frank was a communicant of Immaculate Conception Church in Annandale and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He also served for many years as a Eucharistic Minister, pre-Cana and RCIA instructor, contributed to the historical preservation of the parish and served in a number of other parish ministries. His hobbies included photography of all kinds, hiking in the outdoors and above all, satisfying an intellectual curiosity which led him to amass a vast store of knowledge over a variety of subjects sometimes obscure, but always interesting. Frank is survived by his wife of 49 years, Carole (Kosko) Curcio, his daughter, Catherine Curcio and her husband, Thomas Palmieri of Branchburg, NJ; and his son, Christopher Curcio and his wife, Jenny Welter of Bloomfield, NJ. He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Gabriel and Samantha as well as numerous nieces and nephews and their children of whom he was very proud. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 at 10:00 A.M. at Immaculate Conception Church, Annandale. Friends may visit with the family on Monday from 2:00 to 4:00 and 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. at the Kearns Funeral Home, 103 Old Highway 28, Whitehouse. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to support the Immaculate Conception Parish (http://www.iccannandale.org/Giving/Giving.aspx); the St. Edward the Confessor Parish (61 Mill St, Milford, NJ 08848); or to the American Lung Association (http://www.lung.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/).