David Locascio

David Locascio, of Crystal River, passed away on February 8th at the age of 85. He is survived by Linda, his wife of 60 years, as well as sons David Jr, of Lynchburg, Virginia (husband to Dianne) and Timothy, of Osterville, Massachusetts (husband to Stacey). Their sons and daughters-in-law have blessed David and Linda with five grandchildren; Bryan, Paul, Andrew, Luke, and Shelby. David was pre-deceased by his mother (Anna) and father (John) as well as brothers Michael and Dennis. 

 Born on July 12, 1938 in Bay Shore, New York, David was a state-champion wrestler at Bay Shore High, where he graduated in 1956. After serving in the Marine Corps from 1956-59, he enrolled at Oswego State University in New York, where he met and married Linda (née Lilja). David was an active member of the Psi Phi fraternity at Oswego and he maintained life-long friendships with dozens of fraternity brothers. He continued wrestling while in college and was recently inducted into the Oswego State Hall of Fame for his wrestling career. 

 After teaching and coaching for several years in New York, David completed a doctorate in psychology at SUNY Albany. Upon the completion of his Ph.D., the family moved to New Jersey in 1971, where Dr. Locascio took a position on the teaching faculty at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison. David served on the Psychology faculty and in various administrative positions at FDU for fifteen years. David and Linda also opened a retail computer business, CompuTech, in Ledgewood, New Jersey. The Locascios moved to Essex, New York, on the shores of Lake Champlain, in 1989. Dr. Locascio took a position as Dean at Clinton County Community College in Plattsburgh, where he served until his retirement in 2000. 

 In retirement, Dave and Linda lived in various locations in Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. They greatly enjoyed travel, camping, and spending time with their grandchildren. He was also a passionate “junker” who frequented garage and estate sales, auctions, and flea markets. The Locascios moved to the Crystal River area in 2002. 

 The family will receive friends from 2-5 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at Heinz Funeral Home, Highway 44 West, Inverness, FL 34453. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org.

 Services entrusted to the care of Heinz Funeral Home, Inverness, Florida. www.heinzfh.com.