Former Nassau County resident, Vietnam veteran dies at 68

Posted

Leonard Cacioli used to paint ceramic tropical birds that donned the shelves of his home. “He was very meticulous,” said his daughter Jaclyn Steigert, 35, of Nesconset, adding that he was a skilled handyman and “could fix anything.” Cacioli also, like the birds he painted, spent most of his life looking to the sky.

Leonard Cacioli, an Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, died suddenly on April 3 at his house in Trinity, Fla. He was 68.

Cacioli was born on November 9, 1949 in East Meadow. He moved to Farmingdale, where he attended Farmingdale High School, graduating in 1968. The following year, Cacioli enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and has served on the 483rd consolidated aircraft maintenance squadron, the 536th tactical airlift squadron and the 483rd tactical airlift wing, ending his military service as a sergeant and crew chief.

At the start of his service, his duties consisted of transporting supplies to Vietnam and bringing home the wounded or deceased. Later in his military career, he operated a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress and was responsible for dropping bombs over North Vietnam.

“The war greatly affected him,” Stiegert said, adding that he never shared with her his experiences and, in his old age, only spoke of them to her brother Jason Cacioli, 37, of Farmingville.

Cacioli suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. “He’d close his eyes and be back in the jungle in 1970,” said Jason. “It’s pretty much what killed him.” On coming home, Cacioli’s son added, Vietnam veterans were not valued or respected as was the case during World War II. This only added to Cacioli’s internal malady.

Cacioli was awarded several recognition’s because of his service, including an accommodation letter for preventing a plane crash at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi in 1969. However, he kept them hidden in a box in his basement for most of his life.

On coming home from the war, Stiegert said, Cacioli raised a German Sheppard named Heidi and competed with her in a multitude of dog shows, metaphorically trading his military honors for Best in Show ribbons.

Cacioli stayed involved in aviation, most recently working as the general manager of Accessories Technologies Corporation in Farmingdale, where, he repaired and maintained commercial airline parts. He worked in this role until 2008 and, the following year, he moved to a senior community center in Trinity, Fla.

Cacioli married Deborah Reid-Hatton in 1978; they divorced and he married Denise Mesiano in 1992 and the two divorced as well. However, Stiegert said, Cacioli remained friends with both women. “He loved them and they loved him too,” she said.

In his old age, Cacioli began sharing his experience in the Vietnam War with Jason and, his son said, “started seeing his service as something to be proud of.” He retrieved his medals and honors and showcased them in a shadowbox, which Jason has now.

Cacioli is predeceased by his sister Virginia Lumley. He is survived by his brothers Frank and Raymond Cacioli. In addition to his children, Jaclyn Stiegert and Jason Cacioli, Cacioli is survived by his daughter Nicole Schlick. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Aubrey Stiegert; Brynn, Adeline Schlick and a soon-to-be grandson of Nicole Schlick, and Jack Cacioli.

Stiegert called her father a “dog whisperer,” adding that he was a skilled dog trainer of Heidi and his second dog Niko. On one occasion, she recalled, Cacioli and his children were camping when a bear approached their tent. Heidi immediately stepped into action and jumped in front of the tent, began to bark and scared the bear away.

As Stiegert combed through her father’s house for his belongings in the days following his death, a few of his neighbors stopped in front to greet her. One man walked by with his dog who, on stopping in front of the house, began barking as if looking for somebody. To this, Stiegert said, “even the dogs will miss him.”

There was a memorial service and military honor guard ceremony for Cacioli on April 23 at the Calverton National Cemetery.