Louis J. Mancuso

Louis “Lou” J. Mancuso SHOKAN- Louis “Lou” J. Mancuso, 96, of Shokan died Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 at Kingston Hospital. Born March 30, 1917 in New York City, he grew up in the Bronx. He was the son of Raffaele Mancuso and Nunzia Costabile Mancuso, both immigrants from Naples, Italy. He was a bombardier in the U.S. Airforce during World War II in the China-Burma-India Theater. After the war, he attended the Bulova Watchmaking School in Queens, N.Y. where he met his wife, Dorothy Eckert, whom he wed on Oct. 5, 1947. They were happily married for 66 years and had three children. He owned a jewelry store in Connecticut where he lived with his family in West Haven until 1958. He then worked as a tool and die maker at Rotron in Woodstock and IBM in Kingston, until his retirement in 1979. His love, passion and what he was most well known for, was being a guitar maker and luthier. Lou began crafting and repairing guitars in the 1960’s and continued right up until his death. Over the years, he repaired the guitars of many noteable musicians including Jimi Hendrix. The only thing he loved more than guitars was his wife and family. He had a youthful outlook on life, a great sense of humor and was an inspiration to all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Eckert Mancuso of Shokan; children, Nancy Parmelee and son-in-law Roger Parmelee of Middletown, Louis Mancuso Jr. and daughter-in-law Linda Abrams Mancuso of Latham, Diane Nissen-Fehring, of Boiceville and former son-in-laws Richard Nissen of Kingston, and Robert Fehring of Shokan. Lou is also survived by his six grandchildren, Janina and Roger Parmelee, Mark and Christy Mancuso, Holly Nissen and Claire Nissen Stanton. He had eleven siblings who all preceded his death. Funeral sevices will be held at Lasher’s Funeral Home, Woodstock at 12 noon. Internment will immediately follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Rt. 28, Mt. Tremper, N.Y.