James Michael Peccerillo Obituary

James Michael Peccerillo of West Haven, CT, died on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, after a long, slow decline from dementia. He leaves his wife of 37 years, Sandra Kalison Peccerillo, and his children, Andrew Peccerillo (Cheyanne Hagan) and Beatrice Peccerillo, both of New Haven, his father, Louis J. Peccerillo, also of West Haven, his brother William Peccerillo (Jennifer) of the Villages, FL, and his sister Lois Peccerillo of Guilford, CT, his niece, Katharine Peccerillo (Nic Mansour) of Stratford, and his nephew, Michael Peccerillo, of Wallingford, and his great nephew, John Patrick Mansour of Stratford, his mother-in-law Mildred Kalison, and many loving cousins, sisters-in law, Gail Reynolds and Marilyn Lynch, and brothers-in law, Daniel Reynolds and Richard Lynch. He was predeceased by his beloved mother, Roberta Peccerillo, his aunts, Freda Peccerillo Foster, Joan Cummings Lucibello, Virginia Cummings Koenig McNeil Martinez, his uncles Eugene Cummings, and Edward Cummings, and his beloved grandparents, Louis and Freda (Hass) Peccerillo, and Robert and Alice (Barth) Cumming and his father-in-law, Sidney Kalison.

He was born in New Haven, CT January 25, 1956 to Roberta Cummings Peccerillo and Louis J Peccerillo, and grew up in West Haven. He was active in sports from an early age, and excelled in baseball, football and academics. He was a three-year starting quarterback for the West Haven High School football team including the State Championship team in 1972, his sophomore year, selected for second team honors for All State. He captained the team his senior year. He played left field for the West Haven High School baseball team, captaining that team his senior year as well. He was graduated from Harvard University in 1979 with a degree in Economics. At Harvard he played football his freshman year and varsity baseball for four years as a left fielder. He was a member of the 1978 Ivy League Championship team, was elected to the Greater Boston League All Star team, and the All-Ivy team. His teammates awarded him the George Percy Unsung Hero Award. He was graduated from the University of New Haven in 1991 with an Executive MBA.

He continued to play baseball in the Twilight League for many years, playing left field for McLean-Tiernan, winning many batting titles and a Gold Bat Award. He was inducted into the New Haven Gridiron Club Hall of Fame, The Southern Connecticut Diamond Club Hall of Fame, and the West Haven High School Hall of Fame. He enjoyed golf at Alling Memorial and the Course at Yale.

Jim began his career while still at Harvard, working part-time for a local freight company and immediately following graduation. He then worked for Balco Terminals in Milford, CT, in freight consolidation, Clairol/Bristol Myers Squibb in warehousing, logistics, and purchasing, and ended his career at Unilever in logistics, packaging and purchasing, ushering his division into the new era of sustainability. He was elected as 1st District Councilman in West Haven for many years, and served on the Charter Revision and Land Use Committees.

Jim met his future wife in middle school, at her older sister's birthday party. They had many mutual friends but never connected until he visited her while hitchhiking across the country, unexpectedly showing up at her dorm in 1976. They remained on cordial terms until they ran into each other at a BU/UCONN football game in Boston in 1979, and have been together ever since. Sandy readily admits meeting Jim was the very best thing that ever happened to her.

They married in New Haven May 18, 1985 and raised their family in West Haven where they enjoyed their old home on an idyllic dead end street with a perfect sledding hill at the dead end. Jim was a devoted husband, father, son, uncle, and son-in-law. He made friends everywhere he went. He was the best garden double digger and compost turner. He loved his children and allowed them to build a half-pipe and drop in for skateboarding, which became a haven for Drew and Bea's friends. He loved gardening, music, skiing, road biking, travel, and relaxing with his family and his many friends.

Our family would like to acknowledge the Herculean efforts of his dear cousin, Barth McNeil, without whom we would not have been able to maintain Jim at home for the last few years.

His dementia was thought to be caused by multiple sports-related concussions. He donated his brain for research at the Concussion Legacy Foundation. Donations in Jim's memory may be made to the Concussion Legacy Foundation, classy.org/give/312896, 298 E Main St, PO Box # 79, Middletown, DE 19709, or to the Clinical Research in Neurodegenerative Disease Fund at the BU School of Medicine. Alternately, donating to the Michael Vollmer '90 Fund, harvardvarsityclub.org would also make Jim happy to be a part of helping another athlete in need.

Calling hours will be Wednesday, December 21st from 5-7 p.m. at Keenan Funeral Home, 238 Elm St., West Haven. There will be a celebration of Jim's life after the holidays, details to be announced.