View source for Uccellini, Charles L

Charles was born to Louis and Margaret Uccellini on August 3, 1942, and graduated from Bethpage High School in 1960.  He served in the US Army from 1961 to 1964 and was stationed in Metz France for two years.  When recalling his stint in the Army, he made note of the tension involved with being placed on full alert in the aftermath of the Kennedy assassination.  He married Vivian Crapis in August of 1967, had two daughters (Lisa and Toni Jean), and moved to Florida in the early 1980's.  He was proud to have received an Associates Degree from the St. Petersburg Community College after moving to the Tampa area and simply delighted with his two grandchildren (Zachary and Anna).  Charlie was blessed with two birthdays as he was a recipient of a heart transplant on December 3, 1995, a successful operation which saved his life and gave hime 14 more years.  With this second lease on life, Charlie became a force of nature in his interactions with his brothers (Walter, Louis, and Thomas), the extended Uccellini family, his church, Golf Club, Historical Society, and most importantly for Charlie, the Bethpage High School reunion planning activities for the Class of 1960. 
 
Sadly, Charlie passed away on December 2, 2009 as a result of complications related to surgery in August 2008..  In the end, it was clear from all the comments at the memorial service that Charlie enjoyed many good times with his friends and family and that his links to Bethpage remained a cherished part of his life right to the very end.
 
Submitted by the Uccellini Family  January, 2010.