Obituary of Rocco John Sugameli

Rocco John Sugameli, 63, of Tucson, passed unexpectedly on March 9, 2019 in Marana, AZ. Rocco John Sugameli was born on March 21, 1955 to John and Frances (Sciuto) Sugameli in Amityville, NY. Rocco Sugameli attended the University of Arizona, where he met his wife Natalia (Tuhy) Sugameli. Rocco was a teacher, coach, administrator, and was involved with district leadership for both Marana Unified School District and Assistant Superintendent for Casa Grande Union High School District. During his time as principal of Butterfield Elementary he and his staffed earned the school an A+ Rating from the Arizona Department of Education. Under his watch, Butterfield was also recognized nationally as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Rocco was also recognized as a National Distinguished Principal. After retirement, he went on to consult for Arizona Transformational School Group. While he was dedicated to a career in education, family is what truly defined Rocco. He was preceded in death by his father, John Sugameli (2000). He is survived by his loving spouse of 38 years Natalia Sugameli, mother Frances Sugameli Quartarone, sister Andrea (Sugameli) Frost, sons John (Michelle) and Rocco (Lindsay) Sugameli, and three grandchildren Emmitt, Rocco, and Harper. He is also survived by many close friends and family that he loved dearly. Rocco especially enjoyed large gatherings with family and friends, fishing trips to Alpine, AZ, Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, CA, trips to Italy, UofA football and baseball games, the New York Yankees, and above all, his three grandchildren. He also had a passion for road biking with his buddies. Funeral services will be held at 11:30am on Friday, March 22, 2019 at the St. Odilia Catholic Church located at 7570 N Paseo Del Norte Tucson, AZ 85704. Reception to follow at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in the Fellowship Hall, northeast corner of Paseo Del Norte and Chapala Dr. In lieu of flowers the family requests that a donation be made to Parkinson's Research, Michael J. Fox Foundation OR a charity of your choice.