Michael Cuscurida

Michael Cuscurida
Nov. 16, 1926 – Dec. 18, 2015

Michael Cuscurida passed away Friday, December 18, 2015 at his residence in Waco, Texas. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 23, at St. Louis Catholic Church with Father John Guzaldo as Celebrant. Burial will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery in Waco. The Rosary will be led by Deacon Greg George at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 22, at OakCrest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Boulevard.

Mike was born in Waco on November 16, 1926, and was the first of two children of Mike and Millie (Zahirniak) Cuscurida. Mike attended Waco schools and then received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from his beloved Texas A & M (Aggies) and his Master’s and Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Baylor University. In 1957, Mike started working with Texaco Oil in Austin, Texas. For the greater part of his life he was a research chemist there with many patents to his name. When Mike received his 100th patent, he was invited to New York to have lunch with the corporate president. His Mom told him he could do what he wanted to, but it seemed like a long way to go for lunch!

As a boy Mike became a member of the Boy Scouts of America, and a group of those boys are still living here in Waco and have been best friends to each other throughout the years. Henry Snyder, who was Director of the Waco Civic Theater for many years, was their Scoutmaster. Mike was known to many local charities for his generosity. He was a prayerful man who valued the Mass and rosary.

Their father, Mike, was born in Velestino, Greece and after coming to the United States married Millie Zahirniak from Ross, Texas. In 2008, Mike received a call from a Kouskouridas couple in Greece telling him that he was kin to them. They had located Mike through EllisIsland.org. They were bringing their kids to Disney World and asked Mike to meet them there which he did. In 2009 Mike and Sister Jo Ann made a trip to Greece and were blessed to meet their entire Kouskouridas (Cuscurida) family of over 125 family members.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his dear sister, Sister Jo Ann Cuscurida, Daughter of Charity, in Evansville, Indiana, and his longtime friend, Madeline Kosler, but he was “Uncle Mike” to all the Fulbright and Verme children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and the Kosler nieces and nephews – about a hundred persons. He will be deeply missed by Sister Jo Ann, Madeline, and his many friends.

Pallbearers will be Dr. Jim Moshinskie, Joe Rodriguez Jr., Brian McCann, Alvin Sykora, Mike Leary, and Greg Arceneaux, all friends from St. Louis.

Memorials may be made to St. Louis Catholic School, 2208 N. 23rd St., Waco, TX 76708, Reicher Catholic High School, 2102 N. 23rd Street, Waco, Tx. 76708, or Caritas, 300 S. 15th Street, Waco, TX 76701.