Joseph J. Cultrara

Died after a long illness, 82, formerly of Buffalo. Beloved husband of 33 years of Rose Ciotta, a former Buffalo News reporter and editor. Father of three children from a previous marriage: Mark (Janet Adams) Cultrara, of Amherst; Beth (Dan) Draper, of Orchard Park and Joseph (Laura Richter) of Hamburg. Grandfather of 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson: Camille Cultrara (Jordan Hirsch) and their infant son, Fox and Janelle Ruslander; Leigha (Matthew) Rooney, Patrick, Jonah and Madisyn Draper; Alaina, Matthew, Michael and Benjamin Cultrara; Also survived by stepson, Nicholas P. (Elizabeth Blakey) Cheer, of Atlanta, Ga. and their sons, Jonathan and Andrew Cheer. Family will be present beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 1 for visitation at St. Joseph University Church 3269 Main St. followed at 11 a.m. by a Mass of Christian Burial with interment at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. A son of the Old First Ward, he relocated to Atlanta, Ga. in mid-2020. He was known in Buffalo as a winning sailboat racing captain and retired supervisor and project manager at the General Motors Tonawanda Engine Plant. He taught sailing to thousands around Western New York at the Seven Seas Sailing School that operated out of the Erie Basin Marina. At the helm of Moody Blue, a 22-foot Chrysler, he regularly won racing medals in the main and jib division of the Buffalo Harbor Sailing Club from 1991 to 1998. He also had a 100-ton captain's license, a private plane license and enjoyed radio control sailboat racing and garden railways. A graduate of Seneca Vocational Technical High School, he earned a degree in electrical engineering from the University at Buffalo and became a licensed electrical engineer. He also earned a bachelor's degree in vocational technical education from Buffalo State College. A1 15, he started as an intern at the Buffalo Electric Company where he remained for 24 years and became a supervisor. He joined the GM Tonawanda Engine Plant in 1989 as a supervisor and in 1990 was allowed to join his wife on a fellowship at Stanford University where he audited courses in advanced electrical engineering and the law. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Joseph Cultrara to the youth sailing programs run by the Buffalo Yacht Club Foundation c/o the Buffalo Yacht Club, 1 Porter Ave., Buffalo, N.Y. 14201

https://www.buffaloyachtclub.org/files/BYCF%20Pledge%20Card%202022.pdf.

Online condolences may be offered at www.denglerrobertspernawilliamsville.com.