In loving memory of Carmine Anthony DeCrosta

Obituary

Carmine A. DeCrosta February 2, 1946 – October 15, 2017 Carmine “Carmen” A. DeCrosta, Jr. passed away on Sunday, October 15 surrounded by his loving family and friends after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his soulmate of 47 years, Conchetta “Connie” (Amorosi) DeCrosta of Flagler Beach, Florida, his son Joseph “Joe” T. DeCrosta of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, his daughter-in-law, Maria Walsh DeCrosta and grandchildren Ethan and Helen of Pittsburgh, sister Catherine (DeCrosta) Hein, and brother, Marino DeCrosta of Newburgh, NY. He leaves behind countless cousins, nieces, nephews and friends who cherished their time with him. A native of Newburgh, NY, Carmen was born on February 2, 1946, to Josephine (Macaluso) DeCrosta and Carmen DeCrosta, Sr. He attended South Junior High where he met his life-long partner, Connie, and graduated from Newburgh Free Academy in 1964. He and Connie married on April 26, 1970 and were “like peanut butter and jelly” for 47 years. Carmen and Connie retired to Flagler Beach, Florida to his dream location one block away from the beach. Carmen possessed an enviable zest for life (and an incomprehensible admiration of Aldi’s). There was no limit to the love and support that he gave to his wife and son; family and friends were touched by his vibrant presence. Carmen had a knack for making the simplest experiences in life fun, exciting, and filled with laughter, even in his final days. The consummate fashion plate, his wardrobe was unmatched, but it wasn’t unusual to see Carmen sporting a necktie tied around his head or his belt swinging in hand on the wedding dance floor. A chef and baker at heart, Carmen was a local “celebrity chef” and “foodie” even before the Food Channel made it a thing. He created his own catering business to support his son’s college education while working in sales for Sunshine Cookie Company and Ferolie Corp. He worked as a baker at the Grand Union Company, developed his own specialty cake business, and served as a security guard (and resident cook) for the Newburgh Enlarged City School District prior to his retirement. Carmen loved being retired, as he was able to clean and organize for about 3 hours a day, cook for 3 and beach it for 4, all while spending each and every moment with the love of his life. Judge Marilyn Milian (Peoples’ Court) would be proud of his unabashed penchant for televised court shows as an authentic form of daily entertainment (his wife, not so much). And the kitchen/household gadget department on Amazon just lost its best customer. Carmen’s warm and welcoming approach instantly drew in people from all walks of life. His love for a good recipe and his famous pizzelle cookies were his culinary trademarks, and his passion for the sun, sand, and water were always well documented by his epic Hawaiian Tropics tan. World travel was also high on his list, and he was able explore a few destinations that many do not. Carmen’s absence will be felt in the lives of many, but his presence will reverberate forever… [Florida] Carmen’s life will be celebrated on Friday, October 20 at 11am at St. Joseph Discalced Carmelite Monastery, 141 Carmelite Drive, Bunnell, Florida. [Newburgh, New York] Carmen’s life will be celebrated on Saturday, October 28 at 10:30am at Sacred Heart Church, 301 Ann St., Newburgh, New York. His family would like to especially thank Dr. Padmaja Sai, Marie McCormick, RN, and the staff at Florida Cancer Specialists, and all of the caring professionals at VITAS Hospice Healthcare. Because of Carmen’s extended battle with the complications of advanced prostate cancer, in lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Robin Cole Foundation for Prostate Cancer in Carmen’s name. Donations can be mailed to: 4017 Washington Rd., PMB 352, McMurray, PA 15317, or accessed online at: robincolefoundation.org/donate/.