Obituary of John Joseph Cahill

John Joseph Cahill, of Madison, CT died in his home on May 17^th, surrounded by his family and loved ones. A longtime resident of Ivoryton, in recent years John lived with his beloved wife, Maria Sandra (Sandy) Cahill, in Madison when his Parkinson’s disease necessitated a move to the Hearth at Tuxis Pond. He leaves behind his daughter, Melissa Cahill and her husband Paul Ryan, his son, Edward Cahill and his wife Renee Diones Cahill, four grandchildren, Adriana Tonelli, Renato Tonelli, Jacqueline Cahill, and Christina Cahill, plus a large extended family of in-laws, nieces and nephews. In the final years of his life he was attended to by his devoted caretaker, Ramon Manalo. He was born on February 26, 1936, son of the late John (Jack) Cahill and Marie Paynter of Rockville Centre, NY. He met Sandy at JFK Airport in 1961, married her the next year, and moved to Queens, where he raised his family and spent almost his entire professional career with Air France Cargo. John joined Air France in 1958 and retired in 2002 as USA Cargo Computer Applications Manager. Starting as a cargo handler, over the next 45 years John trained teams of cargo agents at international airports from Houston to Karachi. Working for Air France provided John and his family the opportunity to see the world. He took full advantage of his travel benefits, visiting 26 countries, almost always with Sandy by his side. John was a member of the Army National Guard between 1954- 1962. In his younger years he was an active hiker, camper, and rock-climber; as he grew older he pursued more intellectual challenges. His love of reading history and literature motivated him to seek and attain a Bachelor of Arts degree from Charter Oak State College in 1998 at the age of 62, an achievement he was very proud of. With his signature pipe, full beard, and glasses he was frequently described as “professorial.” His friends and relatives will remember him as charming and sociable, with an irreverent sense of humor. He will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him. A memorial service to celebrate John’s life will be held at Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main Street in Centerbrook on Saturday, June 2, 2018 from 11:00AM to 1:00PM. Memorial contributions in lieu of flowers may be made in John’s name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014 or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.