Thomas Gerard Cuccia

Thomas “Tom” G. Cuccia (55), formerly of Watertown, Massachusetts, and Hollywood, Florida, passed away on March 26, 2024, at his residence in Jacksonville, Florida. Tom was born to Betty and Gustave Cuccia in Hollywood, Florida, on September 5, 1968. After graduating from Chaminade High School in 1987, he joined the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery Crew Member, where he provided combat arms support for the Cold War tensions in the European theater while stationed in Germany and deployed to Saudi Arabia for Desert Shield, which became Desert Storm in support of the Gulf War.

After serving four years in the Army, Tom enrolled at Miami Dade College-North Campus and graduated from the W. L. Philbrick School of Funeral Services with an Associate of Science Degree in Funeral Services and Anatomical Studies. After college, he worked for Landmark Funeral Home (Formerly Panciera Memorial Home) in Hollywood, Florida.

In 2002, Tom re-enlisted in the Army as a Mortuary Affairs Specialist stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia. He was deployed to Iraq, where he operated a collection point in Mosul, Iraq. He engaged in search and recovery, identification, and transportation to the flight line out of the theater of operations. Tom was awarded the third-highest medal, the Bronze Star for his duty to the country and his service. In 2004, Tom separated from the Army and returned to civilian life, where he went to work for Faggas Funeral Home in Watertown, Massachusetts, as a Funeral Director and Embalmer. Tom left Massachusetts after 12 years and returned to Florida, where he worked a short time for A Community Funeral Home and Sunset Cremations in Orlando, Florida.

Tom returned to Massachusetts and Faggas Funeral Home for about six years before finally moving back south and settling in Jacksonville, Florida, where he worked for Hardage-Giddens Funeral Homes as an embalmer.

Tom’s parents, Betty and Gustave Cuccia, passed away before him. However, his sister, Arlette Mary Cuccia of Phoenix, AZ., survives Tom. He is also survived by an Aunt, Patricia Sullivan of Mass., several extended family members, and a host of friends.

He enjoyed living on his previous boat so much that he searched for a slip and boat to reside on in Jacksonville. Unfortunately, he could not fulfill his wish to find a boat. Tom was staying on a property where the neighbors' chickens would roam freely in his yard. Tom ended up adopting about four chickens and started to care for them. He would sometimes leave work hurriedly to get home to feed the chickens. His Jacksonville work family will miss him, and he has left a big hole in the team just the short time he was here.

Tom’s sister and aunts are planning a memorial service later so family and friends can share their stories of Tom, and pay their respects.

Hardage-Giddens Holly Hill Funeral Home is taking care of his local arrangements in Jacksonville.