JOSEPH A. COCCIA

Joseph A. Coccia, 91, of Cranston, died November 14, 2011, at home surrounded by his loving family. He was the husband of the late Rose A. (Fanfarillo) Coccia, a native of Glassboro, N.J. They were married for 57 years.

Born in Cranston, R.I. on June 1, 1920, Joe was the son of the late Silverio and Elizabeth (Porreca) Coccia. He graduated from Providence College in 1941 as a political science major. Plans for law school were deferred upon entering the military service as a private in the Army Air Corps in 1942.

After attending Harvard Business College in 1943 and completing

the Army Air Corps Statistical Program, he was commissioned an officer. He was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1946 after a tour of duty overseas. He was in the Air Force Reserve Program from 1946 to 1963, and completed over twenty years of service retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

His military ribbons and medals included Asiatic Pacific Ribbon with four battle stars; Ryukyus Campaign Air Offensive Against Japan; Air Offensive over China; Air Offensive-Eastern Mandates Campaign; American Theater Ribbon; World War II Victory Ribbon; and Unit Commendation from General Stilwell, 10th Army, Okinawa.

After discharge, he decided to enter the teaching profession instead of pursuing a law career. He taught at the junior and senior high school levels.

In 1955 he completed a master's in educational administration from Rhode Island College. In 1958, he was appointed assistant principal of Cranston High School West. In 1962, he was promoted to Principal and during that period he attended the Institute in the Humanities under the auspices of the John Hay Fellows Program at Williams College and did doctoral work at Boston University.

As a teacher, his methodology gained recognition with three awards from the Freedoms Foundation. As an administrator, several of his articles on curriculum and administration were published in the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Bulletin and the NASSP student activities publication, The Student Advocate.

His professional activities included past director, NASSP. He served on the NASSP Board of Directors for five years; past president, RIASSP; past member, advisory board, National Association of Student Councils; and past member, advisory committee, National Merit Scholarship Fund.

He also served as an adjunct professor at Rhode Island College for ten years.

He served as an NASSP field consultant, New England region, for 15 years; and administrative consultant for several school systems in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He was a member of the Rhode Island Retired Secondary School Principals Association.

He was a student of piano and composition at an early age. In 1943, he became a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra arranging staff. His compositions and arrangements were recorded and released on Capitol Records and Creative World. His music was also recorded by the Paul Cacia Jazz Orchestra.

His compositions and arrangements were featured in Submarine Records and Tapes of London, Compact Discs of the Magic, Status and MFP-EMI Labels, also of London, Capitol Records CDs, and recorded with the Brown University Big Band Blu-Note Label.

Among his accomplishments, he was a Rotarian, and served as District Governor of District 7950, 1986 to 1987; District Governor-Elect, 1985 to 1986; chairman, budget and finance committee and immediate past District Governor, 1987 to 1988. He was chairman and member of sundry committees; chairman, Educational Scholarships Committee, 1979 to 1983 and 1984 to 1985; and committee member, 1993 to 1995; Governor's Representative, Area 8, 1978 to 1979; president, Cranston Rotary Club, 1977 to 1978; vice president, 1976 to 1977; and Board of Directors, 1977 to 1985.

He also served as past president, Cranston Veterans Memorial Scholarship Fund; past chairman, RI NASSP Bicentennial Seniors Program and Century III Leaders Program; former member, Board of Governors, Providence College Alumni Association; chairman, Providence College Class of 1941.

He was inducted into the Cranston Hall of Fame in 1982. He was presented with the Silver Beaver Award for Distinguished Service to youth by the Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America in 1987.

The National Association of Student Councils honored him with the Distinguished Service Award in 1984 for distinctive professional service given to the advancement of student council work. He was also presented the UNITAM Award (United Italian-American, Inc.) in 1994.

In 2001, he was honored with a Service to Education Award by his alma mater, Providence College, at the 60th reunion of his 1941 class. As per a resolution unanimously adopted by the Cranston School Committee in 2000, the new Library Media Center at Cranston High School West was named the Joseph A. Coccia Library Media Center and was dedicated in 2002. An appropriate bronze plaque was placed at the site to memorialize and honor him.

In 2003, after the death of his beloved wife Rose, he established an education scholarship fund at Providence College to help undergraduate and graduate-level education majors in financial need. Since then several students have benefited from this fund.

He is survived by his daughter Elizabeth Coccia Krekorian (Robert) of Cranston; and son, David Coccia (Jen) of Lincoln, both of Cranston; grandchildren Deanna Coccia Phillps (Dennis), Melissa Krekorian Finger (Gregory), David J. Coccia Jr. (Gina), Alicia R. Krekorian, and Jenna Coccia; and four great grandchildren, Ryan Dennis Phillips, Sofia Rose Coccia, Ethan Kerry Finger, and Dylan Joseph Phillips. He was the brother of the late Louis Coccia.

He was a communicant of St Mary Church, Cranston.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday at 10:00am in St. Mary's Church, 1525 Cranston Street, Cranston. Interment, with military honors, will be in St. Ann's Cemetery, Cranston. Visiting hours are respectfully omitted. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Joseph and Rose Coccia Scholarship Fund at Providence College, Office of Institutional Advancement, 1 Cunningham Square, Providence, RI 02918.