Phillip Cuccia

PHILLIP CUCCIA Phillip Cuccia, civil engineer and a long-time resident of the north valley, passed away on Sunday, November 1, at Enloe Hospital in Chico, California, expiring peacefully and surrounded by family. He was 91. The oldest son of Sicilian immigrants of Arb‰resh‰ descent, Mr. Cuccia was born on November 19, 1923 in Madison, Wisconsin. In 1937, his family moved to Sacramento, California where he graduated from Sacramento High School in 1941. After serving in the army during World War II, he obtained his B.S. degree in biology from Sacramento State. He was subsequently hired by the state of California. For the next 32 years, he worked as a resident civil engineer for CalTrans, overseeing the construction of roads and highways throughout the northern state, including Interstate 5. In 1950, he met a young nurse from Sacramento named Sarafine (Sara) Amaro. They were married in Willows, California on November 9, 1952. Six years later, they moved from Sacramento to Glenn County, where they raised three daughters in a house he built largely by himself outside Willows. Mr. Cuccia was an early member of the Glenn County Golf and Country Club. After retiring from Caltrans in 1981, he played golf regularly at the club, becoming so proficient at the sport that he "shot his age" on several occasions. He was a passionate supporter of the San Francisco 49ers, the Sacramento Kings, and the San Francisco Giants, attending his final game at AT&T Park less than a month before his death. A lifelong Democrat, he generously supported organizations ranging from Doctors Without Borders to Wounded Warrior Project to World Wildlife Fund. He was pre-deceased by his wife Sara and his oldest daughter Lynn Cuccia Pardini. He is survived by his daughters Julie Cuccia and Christine Cuccia, both of San Francisco, his sons-in-law Daniel Pardini of Chico and Ken Conner of San Francisco, and his grandchildren Aaron Pardini of Pleasant Hill, California, Dustin Pardini of Phoenix, Arizona, Sara Pardini of Chico and Madeleine Pardini of Chico. As per his wish, no funeral or memorial services are scheduled. Donations in his name may be made to Wounded Warrior Project Family Support.