George D. Cocola

George David Cocola, 63, of Newington and formerly of the South End of Hartford, passed much too soon on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at home. He had tremendous love, caring and devotion for not only his family, but also for his friends. George was one of the most lovable and dependable people. He made everyone feel welcome in his life.

George graduated from Bulkeley High School, Hartford and UConn with a BS in Marketing. For the last 27 years, George worked for Omar Coffee; he dearly loved his coworkers. He was a member of the New Britain Elks and the East Windsor Society for Detecting Thieves and Robbers.

To know George was to love him. If he saw you every day or only on a rare occasion, George made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the world. He cared for and brightened the lives of everyone in his life. George was predeceased by his father and mother, Sebastian and Constance (Maltese) Cocola. He leaves behind his wife, Joanne (Rossetti), married 1990, and their beautiful daughters, Catherine and Theresa. Along with his wife and daughters, he will be forever missed by his brother, David and wife Beth; sister, Sara Chase and husband Kevin, along with many dear nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and a huge amount of close friends.

Calling hours will be Sunday, January 28 from 2-5 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield. Family and friends are invited to a graveside service on Monday, January 29 at 11:30 a.m. at All Saints Cemetery, 700 Middletown Avenue, North Haven. In lieu of flowers, donations in George’s memory may be made to an organization of your choosing.

Our Memory of Dad

There are no words that can truly describe the type of person our Dad was. I think everyone sitting in this room right now knows he was an incredibly special person. He was beloved by so many. From family to friends and friends that became his family. Even the bank tellers and the pharmacists and grocery store check out people knew and liked our Dad. He had this way about him that was hard not to love. This is evident in what a dear friend he was to so many people.

He brought joy and laugher to our lives. He knew how to have fun and was the life of every party he went to. Especially his own legendary parties.

But it wasn't just about the good times. What made him so remarkable was how he would go out of his way to help anyone he loved. He never made helping others seem like a burden; it just came naturally to him. Whether it was giving you a ride, helping you move, shoveling your sidewalk, mowing your lawn or checking every morning to see if the price of Taylor Swift tickets had gone down, he was always willing to help. Most of all, he was always there for my mom and sister, Cinnamon and me. We could always depend on him no matter what. He had this stability to him. A reliable, calming presence that made him one of a kind. I know that my sister, mom and I all really appreciated that about him.

As a kid, I would spend every weekend with him. We would get breakfast at Mortensen's and run errands and go grocery shopping. He loved taking my sister and I wherever he was going, especially to sporting events. He was never bothered by his two little girls constantly going everywhere with him. He always wanted to spend time with us and he never made us feel like an imposition. He loved my sister and I so deeply and we never questioned that. He was truly a remarkable father. Be he was more than that too, he was also my friend. I will miss calling him and telling him all about the good and the bad in my life, and hearing about his day too. He was my rock and I will miss him greatly as I know we all will.