Charles "Charlie" V. Cusimano

Charles “Charlie” V. Cusimano, 92, died peacefully at his home in Mandeville on Saturday, March 28, 2020. He was surrounded by his loving family. Charlie’s life was defined by three words, “FAITH, FAMILY AND FRIENDS”.

Charlie, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and Holy Cross High School, before graduating from Louisiana State University in 1951, with a B.S. in petroleum engineering. He attended LSU on a football scholarship, lettered for four years, and played in the Cotton Bowl in 1946 and the Sugar Bowl in 1950. Cusimano also studied law at Loyola University in New Orleans and did postgraduate work in geology at the University of Oklahoma.

Following a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War (1953-55), Cusimano was recruited by New Orleans Public Service as Development Gas Engineer (1955-57) to implement the city’s transition from wet gas to dry (natural) gas. In 1962, Cusimano became an independent oil and gas operator and formed the Energy Corporation of America which was merged with Equitable Petroleum Company, a New York based company, in 1973.

Charlie was actively involved in higher education in Louisiana. Appointed to the Louisiana State University System Board of Supervisors by Governor Edwin Edwards in 1974, Charlie served for 32 years, becoming the longest continuous serving Board Member in Louisiana State University’s history. For his many contributions to the energy industry in Louisiana and the Louisiana State University, Charlie was inducted into the LSU Engineering Hall of Distinction in 1999.

During his long tenure on the LSU Board of Supervisors, he was instrumental in the expansion of Tiger Stadium. He introduced to the Board his concept of cogeneration, bringing electricity that serves the entire campus and its students.

For the University of New Orleans, a member institution of the LSU System, Charlie aggressively pursued privatized student housing for that campus. In 1995, he obtained the permission of the Board to construct on-campus apartments, Privateer Place

Besides being responsible for allocating space for all religions to build their houses of worship on all of the LSU System campuses, at the request of Archbishop Hannan of New Orleans, Charlie was instrumental in the establishment of the Newman Center on the campus of the University of New Orleans. He also worked with Chancellor Homer L. Hitt in the planning of the Kiefer-UNO Lakefront Arena which opened in 1983.

For his service to the University of New Orleans (UNO), Charlie was honored by the University of New Orleans Newman Center with its First Annual Cardinal Newman Recognition (1999). In addition, he was awarded the University of New Orleans Student Government Student Body Appreciation Award (1987). In 2007, the Faculty of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the College of Engineering of the University of New Orleans awarded him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering “honoris causa”. In 2011, in recognition of his support of the Thoroughbred horse industry in Louisiana, the School of Veterinary Medicine of Louisiana State University established the Charles V. Cusimano Equine Physiology and Pharmacology Laboratory on Baton Rouge Campus in his honor.

Charlie Cusimano also envisioned and spearheaded the establishment of a statewide Clean Power and Energy Research Consortium (CPERC). The Consortium, which includes Louisiana State University, the University of New Orleans, Southern University, Nicholls State University, and Tulane University, is being steered by a hand-picked committee of Louisiana’s most renown energy researchers. Charlie was also instrumental obtaining from the state $500,000 in seed money for start-up costs of the Consortium. He lobbied and made presentations to the U.S. Federal Energy Commission and Federal Fossil Fuel Committee as well as the Louisiana congressional delegation on behalf of CPERC. As a result, CPERC was designated as an Energy Location of Research. In addition, Charlie chaired the Governor’s Comprehensive Energy Policy Advisory Commission, which completed its work in 2003.

As an active citizen of the New Orleans community and the oil and gas industry, Charlie was a member of the American Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Independent Producers Association of America, American Institute of Petroleum Engineers, the New Orleans Geological Society, the Optimist Club, founding member of the East Jefferson Serra Club, and the Petroleum Club. In addition, he was director of LIOGA, as well as Gulf South Bank. He was a member of the New Orleans Allstate Sugar Bowl Committee since 1973.

Charlie was honored with the Order of St. Louis in 1978 and was a member of the Archbishop’s Community Appeal in 1993. He was a member of the Equestrians Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem (Knights of the Holy Sepulcher).

Charles is survived by his four children, Honorable Charles V Cusimano (Kathy); Lisa M Cusimano; Jan C Simon (David); Cathy C Daigle (Keith) and his nephew, Stephen M Coulon (Brenda) and Keith A Long (Leslie). To his eighteen grandchildren and forty-one great grandchildren (and one more on the way), he was lovingly known as “PePa”. He is survived by his brother, Frank Cusimano. Charlie was preceded in death by his wife, Violet Taranto Cusimano. Charlie was the son of the late Nicholas Cusimano and Myrtle Warner Cusimano, and brother to the late Nicholas Cusimano, Jr.

Due to the current health situation, a private graveside service will be held on Friday, April 3, 2020. A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, prayers for his soul are appreciated.

Special thanks to Teka, Kim and Victoria, and the staff at Passage Hospice Care for all their love and support given to him and his family.

To view and sign the guest book, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com