Obituary of Richard D. Cassetta

Richard D. Cassetta, Professor Emeritus of the College of New Rochelle, died peacefully at his home in Rye, New York on July 21, 2018. Professor Cassetta was eighty-one years old.

Born in the Bronx, New York on May 1, 1937, to Paul R. Cassetta and Matilda Cassetta, Professor Cassetta attended Mount St. Michael High School in the Bronx, where he was anhonor student, a member of the football team, and a star runner on the Mount’s track team.

Professor Cassetta ran the lead leg of the Mount’s highly acclaimed 1954 mile relay team, whichamong many other accomplishments, won the Penn Relays.

Upon graduation from high school, Professor Cassetta attended Manhattan College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1960. Professor Cassetta earned a master’s degree in Chemistry from St. John’s University and did doctorate work at Tufts

University.

Professor Cassetta taught physical and organic chemistry at the College of New Rochelle for 47 years until his retirement in 2009. Professor Cassetta taught and mentored generations of future chemists, teachers, doctors, nurses, and business people during his time at the college. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and served as Chairman of the New York

Chapter of the American Chemical Society for several years.

Professor Cassetta married Carole E. (Molines) Cassetta on September 3, 1961. This September would have been their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary. Professor and Mrs.Cassetta have six children: Richard P. Cassetta, Monique (Cassetta) Class, Paul R. Cassetta, II, Dr. Michael Cassetta, CDR. Stephen Cassetta, (USNR, Ret.), and Christine (Cassetta) Kenny.They have fourteen grandchildren: Valery Cassetta, Alex Cassetta, Nicholas Class, Margaux Class, Katherine Cassetta, Elizabeth Cassetta, Caroline Cassetta, Sam Cassetta, Will Cassetta, Mia Cassetta, Madison Kenny, Gavin Kenny, Leah Kenny, and Meredith Kenny.

Professor Cassetta and his wife Carole lived in Rye for forty-eight years. They are members of Resurrection Parish and have been active members of the community. Professor Cassetta served for a number of years as a little league baseball coach. Professor Cassetta was an avid boater, having kept a boat at Rye Marina throughout the time he lived in Rye. Professor Cassetta is survived by his wife Carole, his children, sons-in-law Eric Class and Mike Kenny, daughters-in-law Tonia Jane Veazey Cassetta, Maureen Cassetta, and Ann Cassetta, his grandchildren, and his brothers Douglas Cassetta and John Cassetta. Professor Cassetta is preceded in death by his parents Paul R. Cassetta and Matilda Cassetta and his brother Paul N. Cassetta.

The family will receive friends at the Graham Funeral Home in Rye on Thursday July 26, 2018, from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. and 7 p.m.-9 p.m. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Resurrection Church in Rye on Friday July 27, 2018 at 10 a.m. followed by burial at Gates of Heaven Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.