John Richard Cecchinato Sr.

EAST CANAAN — John Richard Cecchinato Sr., 70, of Lower Road, died Nov. 5, 2021, at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, NY.

He was born in Great Barrington on Dec. 15, 1950, the son of Estella (Cummings) and Louis Cecchinato.

John was a tractor trailer driver for over 40 years, working for Dickinson Trucking in Canaan and later for Yellow Freight Trucking out of Waterbury and then Middlebury, until his retirement in 2010.

John loved doing everything and anything he could for his children. He was a Boy Scout master for Troop 22 in Canaan, and was always at his kids’ Little League games, cheering them on and coaching the Yankees. He enjoyed watching football and baseball, always cheering his teams, the New York Yankees and the New York football Giants. John even started a softball team in the 1970s called Chicks Raiders. John loved to golf with his friends and family and could often be found on the golf course on most any day.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife of over 47 years, Nancy (Leach) Cecchinato; his daughter, Heather, and son-in-law Joe Wetzstein of Plattsburgh, N.Y.; his son, John Jr. and daughter-in-law Tiffany (Lee) Cecchinato of Stratford Conn.; and his daughter, Jessica of Stockbridge, Mass.

John also leaves behind his grandson Jackson Wetzstein; his granddaughter Ciara Panza-Cecchinato; his granddaughter Caitlyn Cecchinato-Flint; his granddaughter Marion Trotta; his grandson JJ Trotta; and his great-granddaughter Sadie Ellis. John also leaves behind his brothers, Louis Jr., Joseph and Nelson; his sister Terry (Cecchinato) Kelly; and many nieces and nephews and countless wonderful additional family and friends.

A memorial service will be held in John’s honor on Sunday, Nov. 21, 1 to 6 p.m. at the Couch-Pipa VFW in North Canaan to celebrate John’s life.

Donations in John’s memory may be made to the Couch-Pipa VFW Auxiliary.

We love you dad! Thank you for introducing us to great music, the Beach Boys, the Beatles and Chicago. Go Yankees!

Latest News

Housatonic softball beats Webutuck 16-3

Haley Leonard and Khyra McClennon looked on as HVRHS pulled ahead of Webutuck, May 2.

Riley Klein

FALLS VILLAGE — The battle for the border between Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Webutuck High School Thursday, May 2, was won by HVRHS with a score of 16-3.

The New Yorkers played their Connecticut counterparts close early on and commanded the lead in the second inning. Errors plagued the Webutuck Warriors as the game went on, while the HVRHS Mountaineers stayed disciplined and finished strong.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mountaineers fall 3-0 to Wamogo

Anthony Foley caught Chase Ciccarelli in a rundown when HVRHS played Wamogo Wednesday, May 1.

Riley Klein

LITCHFIELD — Housatonic Valley Regional High School varsity baseball dropped a 3-0 decision to Wamogo Regional High School Wednesday, May 1.

The Warriors kept errors to a minimum and held the Mountaineers scoreless through seven innings. HVRHS freshman pitcher Chris Race started the game strong with no hits through the first three innings, but hiccups in the fourth gave Wamogo a lead that could not be caught.

Keep ReadingShow less
The artist called ransome

‘Migration Collage' by ransome

Alexander Wilburn

If you claim a single sobriquet as your artistic moniker, you’re already in a club with some big names, from Zendaya to Beyoncé to the mysterious Banksy. At Geary, the contemporary art gallery in Millerton founded by New Yorkers Jack Geary and Dolly Bross Geary, a new installation and painting exhibition titled “The Bitter and the Sweet” showcases the work of the artist known only as ransome — all lowercase, like the nom de plume of the late Black American social critic bell hooks.

Currently based in Rhinebeck, N.Y., ransome’s work looks farther South and farther back — to The Great Migration, when Jim Crow laws, racial segregation, and the public violence of lynching paved the way for over six million Black Americans to seek haven in northern cities, particularly New York urban areas, like Brooklyn and Baltimore. The Great Migration took place from the turn of the 20th century up through the 1970s, and ransome’s own life is a reflection of the final wave — born in North Carolina, he found a new home in his youth in New Jersey.

Keep ReadingShow less
Four Brothers ready for summer season

Hospitality, ease of living and just plain fun are rolled into one for those who are intrigued by the leisure-time Caravana experience at the family-owned Four Brothers Drive-in in Amenia. John Stefanopoulos, pictured above, highlights fun possibilities offered by Hotel Caravana.

Leila Hawken

The month-long process of unwrapping and preparing the various features at the Four Brothers Drive-In is nearing completion, and the imaginative recreational destination will be ready to open for the season on Friday, May 10.

The drive-in theater is already open, as is the Snack Shack, and the rest of the recreational features are activating one by one, soon to be offering maximum fun for the whole family.

Keep ReadingShow less