Andrew D. Cacciatore

Andrew D Cacciatore Sr.,, 101, of Tampa passed away Saturday, November 25, 2017. A native of Tampa, his family (Cacciatore-Ferlita and Puglisi-Pitisci) was part of the initial wave of Italian immigrants to Ybor City in the late 1800s. He was a loving husband and father. He was a past president of the Sons of Italy UNITA Lodge No. 215. In 1932, at age 16, he received recognition from his beloved Boy Scouts of America, Troop 52, for having saved the lives of two separate drowning victims. He was a 1940 graduate of the University of Florida, earning a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering, and lettered as a member of the Gator Marching Band. Upon graduation, he began active duty with the US Army Air Corp Reserve, and when World War II began, he served in the US Army Reserve, Ordinance Division in the European theatre. After the War, he returned to Tampa until he was activated again to serve his country during the Korean conflict, serving as part of the European peacekeeping forces. Mr. Cacciatore was a retired teacher having taught at the old Thomas Jefferson High School. When Jefferson closed, he was transferred to his alma mater, Hillsborough High School until his retirement, teaching math, physics, and eventually, computer programming. He was preceded in death by his parents Giulio and Teresa Cacciatore, his brother Frank A. Cacciatore, and his loving wife of 58 years, Lucy Mortellaro Cacciatore. He is survived by and will be missed by son Andrew D. Cacciatore, Sr; daughter Annette T Polk and husband Steven H Sr.; son John M Cacciatore and wife Marian; six grandsons, Philip Cacciatore, Steven Polk Jr., and Paul and his wife, Sara, Michael, Anthony and his wife, Valerie, and Christopher Cacciatore; two great grandchildren Mary and Matthew Cacciatore and several loving cousins nieces and nephews. Family and friends will gather to celebrate his life on Sunday, December 10th at 2pm with a visitation 1hour prior.