R.I.P. Mark J. Cuccia [telecom] (2023 Update)

Indeed we will. I found many of Mark's posts interesting and well-researched, if a bit long-winded. In my own posts to the Digest, I sometimes cited his posts as sources of information. A search for "mclain cuccia" brought up eleven such posts.

Neal McLain

Here are some remarks from the Telephone Collectors' International association newseltter in remembrance of Mr. Cuccia, from their February 2014 newsletter.

Mark J. Cuccia, TCI member since 2008, passed away suddenly on January

16, 2014. He was 52 years old. A native of New Orleans, Mark resided in Lafayette, LA.for the past eight years. He graduated from the University of New Orleans and worked for many years at the Tulane University Law Library until his retirement in 2004.

Mark had a keen interest in many areas of study, not the least of which was the telephone industry in North America. He authored countless historical articles for online telecom publications for many years, and had a special on-going interest in the North American Numbering Plan. Among his other passions were the historical aspects of New Orleans media, politics and public transportation.

Mark was also interested in classic radio and television shows, and amassed quite a collection over his lifetime. He contributed his research to many bulletin board groups in those fields. He also studied Catholic Church history and traditional Gregorian chant, which he sang at Mass for several years. Based on recent comments on the listserv provided by his friends, he will be missed by many.

.....

I had the opportunity to speak with him several times and he was a very nice and helpful person. He was very knowledgeable about telecommunications. As noted, he was a frequent and valuable contributor to the Digest for many years.

I never had an opportunity to meet Mark or even speak to him on the phone. Needless to say, I now regret this. As Ogden Nash said, it is not the things we do in life that we regret, but rather the things that we fail to do.

I have read Mark's articles in various on-line publications for years, and was always floored by his encyclopedic level of knowledge. One of my favorite digest articles by Mark was decades ago, and concerned toll stations in the Southwestern United States. The piece, if you all remember, centered around his ultimately successful attempts to call an elusive and remote station known as "Drakesbad Number Two." I have been fascinated by toll stations ever since.

Around the middle of last year, Mark's postings to the various on-line pubs suddenly stopped. I noticed the lapse, but didn't pay it much mind, as he has sometimes disappeared for months at a time in the past. In retrospect, his previous absences may have been related to his health.

RIP Mark, you will truly be missed.

Jim Bennett ======================================= Still trying to reach "Drakesbad No.2"

I was Mark's roommate at University of New Orleans. He was very smart and personable, got his BS in Mathematics. He used to dumpster dive for telecom stuff (this was pre- world wide web). I counted myself among his black friends, though I was dismayed after he graduated to find he was marching alongside avowed racist David Duke. I shouldn't have been surprised though, as in college he told me he would love to invite me home but his Italian parents were very racist. In his actions and deeds though he always treated me with respect.