John Fleming Cagnina, formerly of Rowayton, Conn., passed away peacefully on May 13 in Westerly, R.I., after living happily for three years at StoneRidge, a retirement community in Mystic, Conn. He was two days shy of his 87th birthday. His death was a result of heart disease and dementia.
A 44-year resident of Rowayton, John served as a Commissioner of the Sixth Taxing District and Chair of the Rowayton Civic Association. An enthusiastic skier and sailor, he was a founding member of the Rowayton Yacht Club at Hickory Bluff. He was a long-time member of St. John Church (Darien) where he was active in its choir, and served on the board of Hill Top Homes, a senior residence, in Rowayton.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., to P.J. and Margaret Cagnina, John held a B.S. from Fordham University and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. He was navigator of the destroyer Richard E. Krause and also served at U.S. Naval Headquarters in London, England. John then joined General Electric, where he held a variety of positions. In 1995 he retired from BMW of North America after leading Human Resources for 20 years.
John is survived by his wife of nearly 59 years, Anne Shea Cagnina, their children: Tom, Mary Sweeney (Jim), Jean McCutcheon (Larry), and Matt (Jodi); and six grandchildren: Cate and Robert Rung, Ned and Will McCutcheon, and Max and Brock Cagnina. He was predeceased by his brother, Vincent.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. at St. John Church followed by interment in Union Cemetery, Rowayton. A memorial will be held at StoneRidge at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Cardinal Hayes High School (Bronx, N.Y.) or Hope Hospice,
Providence, R.I.