John Cuddy

JOHN S. CUDDY

John Cuddy, age 88 of Baldwin Borough in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died December 30, 2015 in Cornerstone Hospice near The Villages, Florida. He was born August 1, 1927 in Atwood, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, John Samuel Cuddy, the oldest of six children to William Clair and Wilda Marie (Hughes) Cuddy.  John was a U. S. Navy Veteran of World War II, who had been involved in A-Bomb testing @ Bikini Atol in 1946. He was an avid photographer and historian of Covered Bridges and had retired from the Whitehall Borough Police Force after 25 years of service in 1982.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley (Cupp) Cuddy in 2012, and his brother, Gerald Cuddy in 2014. He is survived by his other four siblings, two brothers, Russell “Dale” (Meredith) Cuddy of Summerfield, Florida and Ronald (Patricia) Cuddy of Oakland, Michigan and two sisters, Judy Persin of Bethel, Vermont and Donna (Robert) Hoak of The Villages, Florida.

Friends will be received in the Stephen D. Slater Funeral Home, 1701 Route 51 (Large) in Jefferson Hills on Monday, January 4, 2016 from 1 – 4 and 6 – 8 PM.  Military Honors will be rendered to John at 2 PM during the visitation and his funeral service will be at 8 PM at the conclusion of visitation in the funeral home. His burial will be in Atwood Cemetery in Atwood, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania on Tuesday with his family present.

Remembering John

Composed by Ron Cuddy

John Cuddy was born August 1, 1927 in a remote farmhouse in Atwood, Pennsylvania. The family moved to Calamity Hollow where John grew up with his three brothers and two sisters.

John attended Tepe Elementary and Clairton High School, graduating in 1945.  After high school John joined the U.S. Navy where he served in the Pacific on the Blue Ridge as a Machinist Mate (refrigeration technician) during atomic bomb tests in 1946. He was honorably discharged after three years of service.

John met Shirley Cupp in Clairton during one of his motorcycle rides, and they were married September 26, 1952. Their marriage was a spur-of-the-moment decision, without fanfare, performed at the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. Their wedding dinner was at Johnny's Drive-in Restaurant in West Elizabeth.

Following his three year term in the service, John held numerous jobs, one being a driver for the Noble J. Dick Bus Lines and later for Greyhound between Akron, Ohio and Detroit, Michigan. He finally settled with a career as a policeman in the Whitehall Borough Police Force. Upon which he joined the Fraternal Order of Police and later retired from the Whitehall Borough force on August 6, 1982 after 25 years of service.

John and Shirley had a passion for travelling, and they covered almost every state researching and exploring covered bridges. His knowledge and collection of data on covered bridges was so extensive that he made presentations to various societies and historical groups. He spoke at the Charleroi Historical Society, the Belle Vernon Historical Society, Churches, Women’s Clubs and Schools. He also won awards from the Pennsylvania Magazine for his articles and photographs. He was a member of   the “Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society of Pennsylvania", “The Monongahela River Buff’s Association”, and “The Jefferson Hills Historical Society”.

John enjoyed hunting and fishing. His favorites were numerous week long fishing trips with his friends to Georgian Bay at the mouth of the French River in Canada. He also loved deer, bear, and turkey hunting. To satisfy this passion, he was joint owner in a hunting cabin on the edge of the Pennsylvania State Forest in Tionesta, Pa.

John bought a new white Harley Davidson motorcycle in 1949. He sold it shortly after marrying Shirley. His favorite vehicle was his green classic 1978 Ford pickup truck which became an icon. If you knew John, you knew his truck.

John and Shirley also traveled much of the world. Many experiences were special, but his most frightening was when he bungee jumped from a ten-story bridge over a canyon in New Zealand. At 65 years of age, he was probably the oldest person to have done it.

Following the loss of Shirley in September, 2012, John resided alone at their home on Elderslee Road. After approximately one year, his health deteriorated and he relocated to The Harbor Chase Assisted Living complex near The Villages in Florida.

John was a great brother, a good husband, a good neighbor, and a good friend to many. We will miss him.