Joseph J. Cugno

Joseph John Cugno, born March 10, 1945, in New York City, passed away on March 11, 2026, in Columbia, Maryland, after a courageous battle with terminal cancer.

He is survived by his loving wife of 17 years, Michele Cugno, and his four children: Tony Cugno (Laurie), Patrick Hyde (Nina), Megan Hyde (David Newcomer), and Michael Hyde (Annalyn O’Grady). He was a proud grandfather to five grandchildren: Lauren, Zachary, Benjamin, Muireann, and Charlie. He was predeceased by his parents, Santo and Vincenza Cugno; his sisters, Mary Margagliotti, Sally Sharaba, and Joann Meehan; and his first wife, Shirley.

Born and raised in New York City’s Ozone Park and Richmond Hill neighborhoods, Joe was a lifelong sports enthusiast with deep devotion to the New York Yankees and New York Giants. He graduated from Mount Assumption Institute in Plattsburgh, New York, in 1962 and attended East Tennessee State University on a baseball scholarship. During his junior year, he was drafted by the New York Mets. He later earned his bachelor’s degree from NYU before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, where he served his country in Vietnam and South Korea.