Allen Barton James "Jim" Cuccio

Jim was born two days before Christmas in 1931. He died August 8, 2018 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. Jim was the sixth child of Rosina and Guy Cuccio in Crowley, Louisiana.

He had a long and happy life. He was devoted to family and a faithful Catholic. When he was 11, he had a pet rooster. He spooned peanut butter directly from the jar and never said no to chocolate ice cream.

Jim played all the sports in high school. He was a tackle in football, heavyweight boxer and center in basketball. In track, he threw shot-put and discus and was a catcher in baseball. He loved to play, accepting an ‘F’ in PE in his senior year so he could play a fifth season of football.

He claimed to be 5’11”, although he thought of himself as 10 feet tall and bulletproof. He was not easily daunted. He was the guy standing on a rickety chair in Notre Dame Cathedral, photographing Mass.

He was the first in his family to go to college, graduating LSU in 1955 with a degree in electrical engineering. Jim worked as an early pioneer in the computer business at General Electric. He holds 30 computer-related patents, including fundamental inventions in TV-raster displays, electric keyboards, microcomputers and hard drives. He also worked at Honeywell, Seagate, Maxtor, Control Data and was a consultant. His original concepts are still in use in today’s personal computers.

Jim loved to travel, and his years in the Naval Reserve meant going to sea, including on the USS Iowa. He was a photographer, a gardener and enjoyed oil painting with a tiny, one-hair brush.

He met his first wife, Sue, at GE in Cincinnati. They had two daughters, Anne and Joan. In 2000, he lost Sue to cancer after 44 years of marriage.

During preparations for their 50th high school reunion, Jim reconnected with Lou. They married on Valentine’s Day 2001. They traveled widely, including to Israel and Nova Scotia.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, first wife Sue and siblings, Eva Camalo, Catherine Rosetta, Vincent Cuccio, Guy Angelo Cuccio and Nick Joseph Cuccio. Jim is survived by Lou, his wife of 17 years, daughters Anne and Joan and husband, Morris Foster, and step-daughter, Kathleen and husband, Calvin Doucet. He has four grandchildren, Emma, Mia, Henry and Rose, his godson, Guy Cuccio Jr. and many other family members and friends.

The family is grateful for the love and care of his team of extraordinary caregivers who have helped him thrive despite years of illness.