Bernard Restuccia

Bernard S. (“Rusty”) Restuccia died on October 31, 2012 at the age of 77 in Ann Arbor, Michigan at his home after a long bout with Epilepsy and Parkinsons. Rusty is survived by his wife of 51 years, Maria, and their three sons along with their wives: Jon and JoAnn (Gertschen) Restuccia, Paul and Ashley (Anderson) Restuccia, and Eric and Nancy (Skrobola) Restuccia. He is also survived by his eleven grandchildren (Dominic, Maria, Margaret, Anna, Benjamin, Vincent, Angela, Natalie, Nathan, Joseph, and Paul) and one brother, Paul Restuccia. He was a loving father and husband, and will be greatly missed.

Rusty was born on February 26, 1935 to Felix and Anna Restuccia in Dorchester, Massachusetts at St. Margaret’s Hospital the first of their two sons. He graduated from Milton High School in Milton, Massachusetts in 1953, and then graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1957. He served two years in the United States Army and was stationed in South Korea, finishing his military service as a First Lieutenant. Upon his return to the United States, he attended the University of Pennsylvania and received his Masters in Business from the Wharton School in 1961.

On June 24, 1961, Rusty married Maria Georgiana at St. Michael’s Church in Gibbstown, New Jersey. They had three children: Jon (born in 1963), Paul (born in 1964), and Eric (born in 1968). They celebrated their golden anniversary on June 24, 2011.

In January 1962, Rusty began working for Ford Motor Company and worked for the company for his entire 33-year career. Beginning in the area of sales and marketing, he was ultimately appointed to the position of Director of Marketing Services for North America. In this assignment, Rusty was head of the Minority Dealership Program for Ford Motor Company, overseeing all of the African American dealers in the United States for the last thirteen years with the company before his retirement in 1995. In this capacity, he worked with successful African American dealers, including Nathan Conyers, Mel Farr, and Wendell Barron. The success of this program was profiled in an August 14, 1989 article in Fortune magazine, entitled “The Rise of Black Auto Dealers.”

Until he began his studies at the University of Pennsylvania, Rusty went by the nickname “Bunny,” which was derived from his first name Bernard. In graduate school, he began using the nickname “Rusty,” which was used by his father and is taken from his last name.

Throughout his life, Rusty had a passion for Wisconsin sports. He was a committed booster of the University and its sports programs, particularly its college football program. He established a scholarship at the University in the name of his father, Felix B. Restuccia. He has asked that his headstone include the phrase, “A Badger among the Wolverines,” as a demonstration for his support of Wisconsin sports. He also had a love for the music of Neil Diamond.

Rusty had a strong commitment to Ford Motor Company and to the African American dealers he befriended during his work with the company. During his retirement, he personally published a book about the first African American dealer, Homer Roberts, “An Extraordinary Man,” which was printed in 2001.

Finally, Rusty had a strong love for his family. He considered his greatest success in his life to be his marriage, and his children and grandchildren. These were the most important priorities in his life.

The visitation for Rusty Restuccia will be at Muehlig Funeral Chapel at 403 South Fourth Avenue in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 5, 2012 from 5 pm to 8 pm. There will be remembrances beginning at 7 pm, with the rosary to follow at 7:30 pm. His Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 10 am at Old St. Patrick Church in Ann Arbor, with prayers at the gravesite at Forest Hills Cemetery in Ann Arbor to follow.