NAUGATUCK — Robert Curina, 92, passed away peacefully at Yale-New Haven Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021. He was the loving husband of 73 years to Jane (Nardello) Curina.
Born in Derby on Dec. 29, 1928, he was the son of the late Albert and Prima (Maestrini) Curina.
Robert worked at Uniroyal for close to 30 years and later at the Naugatuck treatment plant until his retirement. He was very active in the community as a lifetime member of the Derby Adriatic Marchegian Club, a member of the Naugatuck Exchange Club, and as the former director of the Naugatuck Fife and Drum Corps.
For the past 50 years, Robert enjoyed hunting and fishing at his Lake Champlain cottage. He was a talented machinist, mechanic, and handyman who could fix anything. He was also a talented Italian cook, famous for his cherry peppers.
In addition to his beloved wife, Jane, he is survived by his daughters, Linda Malchiodi; Janice Myers and husband, Gary, and Lisa Carlson. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his brother, Albert Curina, and his wife, Rosemary; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Ivan Curina; and his son-in-law, Joseph Carlson III.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 22, at St. Vincent Ferrer Church, New Haven Road, Naugatuck. Burial will follow in St. James Cemetery. Friends and family may call from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, at Buckmiller Thurston Mengacci Funeral Home, 82 Fairview Ave., Naugatuck.
Memorial contributions to honor Robert’s life may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at stjude.org.
To send the Curina family an online condolence, visit buckmillerthurstonmengacci.com.
