Obituary for Ante "Tony" Predovan
If the legend is to be believed, in the late 1960’s, a 16-year-old Ante “Tony” Predovan was sent out into the world with nothing but the shirt on his back and a whole leg of prsut (Croatian cured ham) slung over his shoulder on a rope. He left behind his parents' small sheep farm and likely limited prospects in Communist Yugoslavia. He crossed an ocean, settled in a new land, and over the next 50 years built a life for himself that would have been nearly impossible to imagine in the single-room farmhouse he grew up in.
He was blessed with other gifts that served him well along the way. With a herculean (and perhaps at times, stubborn) work ethic, he forged his own successful construction business. He used his folksy but undeniable charm to woo a devoted clientele and a beautiful young woman, Ann Cucurullo. They wed in 1980, forming a loving partnership that would last for the rest of his life. With his own bare hands of steel he built the house in Hawthorne, which together they made a home for their five children and at various times, their spouses, four grandchildren, and many other relatives. 311 bursted with loved ones on Christmases, Thanksgivings, and countless Cucurullo clan birthdays, where with his warm smile, Tony surveyed everything from the head of the dining room table. An endless Italian feast laid out for all by Ann and her sisters. Giving way to crazy eights or po-kee-no or LCR for the real gamblers. And a well-earned nap on the couch for Tata.
He was born on June 5, 1951 and departed this life surrounded by his family on November 21, 2021. He is survived by his wife Ann, children and their spouses John (Rebecca), Mary Brady (Dan), Anna Gavin (Brian), Ante, Jr. (Lauren) and Michael. Also surviving their Dido are his true favorites, grandchildren Brian Brady, Eleanor Brady, Naomi Predovan, and William Predovan, who wish him laku noc (good night) in heaven. Tony is also survived by his brothers Josip, Marijan, and Ivo, and a large extended family of in-laws, whose homes, nearly every one, he improved at some point or other, and for whom Easter will never be the same.
The Family will receive friends at Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville, NY on Tuesday November 23 from 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, November 24 at 10:00 AM at Holy Rosary Church in Hawthorne, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
He was blessed with other gifts that served him well along the way. With a herculean (and perhaps at times, stubborn) work ethic, he forged his own successful construction business. He used his folksy but undeniable charm to woo a devoted clientele and a beautiful young woman, Ann Cucurullo. They wed in 1980, forming a loving partnership that would last for the rest of his life. With his own bare hands of steel he built the house in Hawthorne, which together they made a home for their five children and at various times, their spouses, four grandchildren, and many other relatives. 311 bursted with loved ones on Christmases, Thanksgivings, and countless Cucurullo clan birthdays, where with his warm smile, Tony surveyed everything from the head of the dining room table. An endless Italian feast laid out for all by Ann and her sisters. Giving way to crazy eights or po-kee-no or LCR for the real gamblers. And a well-earned nap on the couch for Tata.
He was born on June 5, 1951 and departed this life surrounded by his family on November 21, 2021. He is survived by his wife Ann, children and their spouses John (Rebecca), Mary Brady (Dan), Anna Gavin (Brian), Ante, Jr. (Lauren) and Michael. Also surviving their Dido are his true favorites, grandchildren Brian Brady, Eleanor Brady, Naomi Predovan, and William Predovan, who wish him laku noc (good night) in heaven. Tony is also survived by his brothers Josip, Marijan, and Ivo, and a large extended family of in-laws, whose homes, nearly every one, he improved at some point or other, and for whom Easter will never be the same.
The Family will receive friends at Beecher Flooks Funeral Home in Pleasantville, NY on Tuesday November 23 from 3:30 PM - 7:30 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Wednesday, November 24 at 10:00 AM at Holy Rosary Church in Hawthorne, NY. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.