Joseph N. Quartuccio, 72, of St. Charles, a volunteer coach whose love of children and sports made him familiar in the community, died Monday, Jan. 8, in his home. He was born in Madison, Wis. Mr. Quartuccio enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating from high school. Later, he served in the Air Force. In 1976, he received a bachelor’s degree from Aurora University. Mr. Quartuccio worked as an air-traffic controller at the Aurora Center for about 30 years, retiring in the late 1980s. “He had a real passion for planes,” said his son Brian. A longtime St. Charles resident, Mr. Quartuccio volunteered as a coach for many local youth sports, including Wasco Baseball and Tri-City Soccer. “Everybody seemed to know him in one way or another,” said his son. “He really enjoyed the kids, coaching them, and had a face everyone remembered.” He was a fitness proponent, and his repeated advice to players was to stay in shape year-round. “He wasn’t one of those crazy guys who played touch football on weekends, but he managed to squeeze in exercise whenever he could and stayed active all year round,” said his son. Mr. Quartuccio also was a volunteer for the Air Classics Museum at the DuPage Airport. Other survivors include his wife, Patricia Lynch; another four sons, Michael, Stephen, Paul and Matthew; five daughters, Natalie Stanfield, Dianne Harris, Laura Grant, Theresa and Erin; two brothers, Franklin and Nicholas; and four grandchildren. A mass will be said at 9:30 a.m. Friday in St. Patrick Catholic Church, 408 Cedar St., St. Charles.
