Richard Andrew Calusine

Richard Andrew Calusine
Richard Andrew Calusine, 72, of Ellington, passed away on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at his home. Born in Hartford on October 17, 1952, son of the late Andrew and Barbara Joan (Wills) Calusine, he was raised in Windsor Locks and attended Windsor Locks High School.
Richard served in the US Navy for six years during the Vietnam Era and he was honorably discharged as an Electronics Technician, Petty Officer First Class. This training in electronics started a lifetime interest in working with his hands.
Richard started his career as defensive contractor for the US Navy at the Naval Ship Weapons System Engineering Station (NSWSES) in Port Hueneme, CA. He later lived in Nevada and Maine before returning to Connecticut where he later started working with his father and brother in the family business, Andrew's Organ Service. Richard and his family repaired organs in churches, homes, funeral homes, and other venues throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island.
In his spare time, Richard enjoyed working on old Jeeps and he was a jack of all trades, routinely taking on carpentry, plumbing, and electrical projects around his home. He also built his own computers, repaired his and his family member's cars, and could learn anything that had to do with electronics. Richard was an accomplished musician and could play the piano, organ, guitar, banjo, violin, and anything with strings. He loved animals and had many dogs and cats over the years. Most of all, Richard loved his family and enjoyed giving them advice as they navigated the challenges in life. He had a genuine gift for helping people see the right path to take in any situation and he learned from his own mistakes and imparted this knowledge to his children, other family members, and friends.
He leaves three children, Jennifer Calusine of Phoenix, AZ, Timothy Calusine and his wife Marykate of Lancaster, SC, and Philip Alan Calusine and his wife Vanessa of Vernon; two sisters, Lorraine Davenport and her husband Mark of Spokane, WA and Jane Stine of Wiles-Barre, PA; two brothers, Mark Calusine and his wife Laureen of Enfield and Robert Calusine of Ellington; three grandchildren, Zacheary Calusine of Lancaster, SC, Johnny Calusine of Lancaster, SC, and Julia Calusine of Milwaukee, WI; and six nieces and nephews.
His family will receive friends on Friday, January 3, 10 a.m.-11 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 11 a.m., at Our Savior Lutheran Church, 239 Graham Rd., South Windsor. Burial with Military Honors will follow in Ellington Center Cemetery, Ellington.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Our Savior Lutheran Church, Attn: Music Fund, 239 Graham Road, South Windsor, CT 06074. Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home in Vernon has care of the arrangements. For online condolences please visit, www.carmonfuneralhome.com.