Obituary
Achilles A. Rustici (Rus) died peacefully in the tender care of Cornerstone Hospice on September 30, 2020, with his wife Jill holding his hand. He was born 2/1/1931 to Achille and Anna (Brusky) Rustici. Rus leaves three children, Diane Vitti, Peter, Joseph, and their families. He is predeceased by two brothers and survived by four sisters.
Rus started working at an early age to help support his family. During his late teens he was racing a Harley at Laconia, NH, and played semi-professional hockey at the New Haven Arena. He had a great love of his country and enlisted in the army when he turned 18. Initially he was sent to Japan where he served in General MacArthur’s Honor Guard. As conflict intensified, he was sent to Korea where he subsequently served as a decorated combat infantryman and a tank commander. His last assignment was as an Honor Escort accompanying deceased soldiers to their families. It was a difficult assignment reserved for soldiers who had fought in battle and been decorated.
After his return from service, Rus worked in construction for some years and then started his own business, Rusland Builders Inc., a multi-trade contractor. He was highly regarded in the communities he served as a skillful, talented and honorable professional. Rus reluctantly retired shortly before his move to The Villages with Jill in 2005. He was loved, admired, and respected by the friends he made, as well as by the dedicated medical people who took care of him. Jill and Rus were married in 1972, and were just shy of their 48th anniversary when he died. He will be missed.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Timothy Roman Catholic Church, 1351 Paige Place, Lady Lake, on Friday, October 30, 2020, at 8:30am.
There will be a military funeral for Rus at the Florida National Cemetery, as well as a celebration of his life at a future time when it is safe for family and friends to gather.
Should you wish to make a contribution in Rus’s name, please donate to your favorite charity, or to Rus’s:
St. Jude Children’s Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/donate/
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