Obituary of Anthony James Brucculeri

Anthony (Tony) Brucculeri, 71, passed away at Samaritan Hospital in Troy, NY on July 20, 2024 after a long illness. Tony was born in Brooklyn, NY, the eldest son of Vincent (Jim) and Catherine Brucculeri, and grew up in Franklin Square, NY, graduating from Sewanaka High School in 1970. As a young man, he went west and lived in Portland, OR for a couple of years, then came back east to get an associate’s degree in philosophy at Adirondack Community College in Saranac Lake, NY.

In the mid-70s, Tony joined Local 2 of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers as an apprentice and made his career over the next four decades. His skill, perfectionism and attention to detail were obvious to all who worked with him, and over the years he worked on jobs as varied as The Public Theater in Greenwich Village, NYC, Duke University Chapel, the State Capitol and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany, NY and the Saratoga Battle Monument in Victory, NY. If you were riding as a passenger in his truck, any trip invariably took a detour as he’d say, “I’ll show you a place I worked on…”

For Tony, retirement was a full-time occupation, and while he kept his hand in masonry work, he found new interests, particularly vegetable gardening and woodworking. His devotion to his tomatoes bordered on the obsessive, but always paid off at harvest time. Woodworking came to him easily, as he saw it as just using his mason’s eye and skills in a different medium. Tony made beautiful items of all sizes and types, from cabinets and tables to Adirondack chairs and wood wall paneling. 

When not tending to his vegetables or making sawdust, Tony also found more time to enjoy music, which had been a part of his life since his teen years in the 1960s. He was an enthusiastic Bob Dylan fan and saw his live shows several times. Retirement also meant more time to catch up with friends over coffee at Stewart’s (“Who pays $5 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks?”), and to play the races every summer at Saratoga (“Always bet your horse win and place, because you never know what will happen…”

Tony is predeceased by his parents and is survived by his partner Colleen Fancher, who had been a part of his life for two decades, as well as by his sisters Maryann DeVita (Arthur), Jackie Blond (the late Joe), and his brothers Charles Brucculeri (Donna), Chris Brucculeri (Maryellen) and Jim Brucculeri (Lulu Zhao). He was a loving uncle to six nieces and nephews (Jeanette, Kristin, Erica, Vincent, Michele and Christopher) and five grandnephews and nieces (Isaac, Lincoln, Sage, Dechlan and Delilah). He also leaves behind his beloved four-legged friend Kloe, a shelter rescue dog who alternately was a source of great love, comfort and aggravation during their time together.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 29, 2024 from 4 pm to 7 pm at the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Route 9, Clifton Park, NY 12065. Memorial contributions may be made to Mohawk Hudson Humane Society, 3 Oakland Avenue Menands, NY 12204.