Elsie Luccarelli

Elsie Luccarelli was born May 6, 1941 in Ithaca NY, the daughter of the late Joe and Rose Luccarelli (Capogrossi).

She attended Immaculate Conception School on Plain Street and graduated in 1959 from Ithaca High School, and then entered SUNY at Geneseo receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in math with a minor in elementary education in 1963 and later a master degree in math education in 1967 at the same university.

Teaching mathematics was a joy to Elsie. She spent 33 years, first in Massapequa, Long Island and then schools in Berlin, Germany; Alexandria, Virginia and in the Berkshires in Massachusetts. Returning to her home town, she spent 16 years teaching in the Ithaca School District, first at Boyton Junior High School and then at Ithaca High School until she retired in 1996.

She recalled seeing the moon-landing in 1969 on television while visiting Croatia (broadcast in Russian) and purchased a Fiat sport vehicle in Italy, which she eventually brought back with her to the United States. While enjoying traveling throughout the United States, Europe and other countries, Elsie resided in Ithaca and it’s environs, first on Hickory Trail and for 20 years in Dryden with her partner the late Lou Pendleton, where they liked to entertain friends, often with bands.

Music has always been a stable foundation in her life; especially the early music of Rock-n-Roll, acts like Elvis, the Beatles and John Lennon and the Rolling Stones. She saw Jimi Hendrix in Berlin and Pink Floyd in Amsterdam and traveled around the USA to see performances by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, Crosby, Stills and Nash, BB King and Johnny Winter to name a few. More recently she enjoyed the blues guitarist Joe Bonnamassa.    

She also had a passion for bringing music to her students, especially at Ithaca High School, where she was pivotal in organizing school assemblies for students to showcase their musical talents. She sponsored contests where students would vote on best band performances and frequently performed herself with other faculty members.   

For several decades she shared a home in the town of Dryden with the late Lou Pendleton (deceased 2017). More recently, she enjoyed times with her partner Mark Humulock,(deceased 2019).  Prior to the above she was married for a few years to the late John “Jack” Mackesey (deceased 2010).

Elsie died peacefully on April 7, 2023 at Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca surrounded by long-time friends and family. At her bedside were Linda Bartholomew, Markley Doane, Sr., Andrew Summers, Debbie Brown, Nikki Humulock, Mark Roscioli and nephew Brian Vattimo.

She is survived by her brother, Luigi Luccarelli, three nephews, Brian (Casey) Vattimo, David (Gina) Vattimo and Christopher (Joann) Vattimo, a brother-in-law, Richard (the late Antoinette Luccarelli) Vattimo, and numerous great nephews, nieces and cousins, including Rose Marie Gaherty.

Family and friends are invited to call from 2-4 pm on Sunday, April 23, 2023 at Bangs Funeral Home, 209 W. Green St., Ithaca, NY. All are invited to graveside services and interment in the family lot at Calvary Cemetery at 10 am, Monday, April 24, 2023.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Elsie Luccarelli, please visit our floral store.