Aurelio "Ray" Mastrocinque of Hyde Park, New York, died at home in the early hours of Friday, October 14th, with his wife Elizabeth at his bedside. Ray loved his family dearly and was able to be with them in the afternoon and evening before his death—a gathering that included the many smiles of his great-grandson, his newest "buddy" and his namesake, Isaac Aurelio. He was 86 years old.

The youngest son of Joseph and Nicolena Mastrocinque, Ray was born on November 17th, 1935 in Poughkeepsie, New York. He grew up in Brooklyn and Poughkeepsie, served in the U.S. Army as a member of the Tank Recon Platoon in Germany from 1954 to 1956, and met and fell in love with Elizabeth Macfarlane soon after his return home. They were married on April 13th, 1958, at Mount Carmel Church and had two children, Diane and John.

In his younger years, Ray enjoyed bowling, boating, and playing both softball and five-card stud. Known to his immediate family as "Poppi" since the birth of his first of two grandchildren in 1987—his original "buddy," Zach—Ray enjoyed a long career in upper management of grocery retail before retiring from Kings Supermarkets in 2000, where he was the Vice President of Produce and Floral. Nicknamed "The Coupon King," it seemed that Ray's favorite pastime was indeed grocery shopping, though it was rivaled, of course, by summers at his second home in Ocean Beach, NJ, going to lunch with "the boys," and dancing with his wife. He was an ardent fan of the Mets, the Jets, his Westerns, and the Game Show Network, and, a true Italian, he loved to cook for and feed his family, whether as a master in patience at the grill (not once did he overcook a steak, and there truly is no burger like a Poppi Burger) or in the kitchen, scrambling eggs on Christmas morning or sautéing his signature Sausage & Peppers. He did, and loved doing, everything for his wife, his children, and, especially, his grandchildren—from painting their houses and organizing their mail to ensuring that their gas tanks were filled and their cars were inspected (his greatest challenge in the latter being his beloved granddaughter). He took great pride in the accomplishments of his children—his daughter and her success in Real Estate, and his son and his time in the Air Force and as a corporate pilot. First and foremost, though, Ray loved being with his family, but he couldn't possibly have loved it more than they loved being with him. He was so many favorites to so many people, and he was adored by everyone he met. His humor, his mannerisms, his colloquialisms, and his comforting presence are already so sorely missed.

Ray is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Mastrocinque; his children Diane (Joseph) Crittenden and John (Vanessa) Mastrocinque; his grandson Zachary (Rachel Cuyler) Crittenden and great-grandson Isaac Aurelio Crittenden; his granddaughter Rachel Crittenden; his sister Rita (Angelo) Gasparri and their children Angelo Gasparri, Rosemarie Scher, and Nicole Gasparri (his goddaughter); his nephew Joseph Mastrocinque; and several aunts, cousins, nieces, and nephews: the Res, the Feos (including Mary Lou [Andrew] Kutchma, his goddaughter), the Della Pietras, the Romanos, the Mastrocinques, and the Macfarlanes. He is predeceased by his parents, as well as his brother Remo Mastrocinque, his godfather Pasquale "Pat" Re, his godmother Filomena Re, and his cousin and "second brother" Gaetano "Tom" Re.

A funeral Mass and military burial will be held in Ray's honor. Please contact the family for details.

Ray's loved ones respectfully request that any memorial donations go to the Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation, 80 Washington Street, Suite 204, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. (www.hvhospice.org)

To send an online condolence, please visit Ray's obituary page at www.sweetsfuneralhome.com.