1942 ~ January 23, 2026
John Salvatore Scuderi, 82, of Wantagh, NY, passed away on January 23, 2026 with his children by his side. He is survived by his children Lisa Ann (Jason), Christopher John (Carol), and Brian James; his grandson Cole; and his brother Michael and sister Mary Anne. He is predeceased by his wife Marian, parents; John and Eleanor, and his sister Virginia.
John was a family man. He was devoted to his wife, 3 children and grandson. He was married to his wife for 58 years, and took great care of her before she passed away from Bile Duct Cancer. John took his family camping every summer all along the East Coast until they finally settled into a seasonal spot at Strawberry Park in Preston, Connecticut. He especially loved Halloween weekends there, once dressing up as an old fashioned camera with a flash that he built himself.
He was a Teacher at South Side HS in Rockville Centre, NY for 39 years. He taught Industrial Arts (e.g., auto body, auto engine, printing, woodwork, mechanical drawing, photography, etc). He was also a Rifle Coach at the school until the program was eliminated. At the end of his career, he taught himself computers and subsequently transferred to the Junior High School to be the computer teacher (he collected lots of laser pens from those younger kids). The students affectionately called him Mr Skidz. He kept in touch with some students who have the same passion for cars.
He was outgoing and loved to go to car shows with his son, Brian. He would talk to anyone about anything, especially cars. He could see a car (primarily antique) for a brief moment and instantly know the make, model and year.
He lovingly restored several cars over his lifetime, with his baby being a 1931 Oldsmobile that he worked on with his Father-In-Law, John Hellenschmidt. The Oldsmobile and a 1968 Volvo, were both featured in Newsday, which made him very proud. He also won multiple trophies for his 1931 Oldsmobile such as Best in Show, Best Original Restoration and Best In Class at the National Antique Automobile Association. His love of cars was passed down to his son, Brian, and together they purchased and worked on several automobiles together. John was very active in his Oldsmobile Club, and considered an expert of the 1931 Oldsmobile. He sourced machinists to recreate and produce obsolete and unavailable parts for people around the world. Some of his parts exist in historical automotive museums today.
John had a lot of interests, and enjoyed tinkering with things. He went through a pinball phase where he would buy broken pinball machines, and then fix them for fun. The entire basement was comprised of old arcade games. Marian especially loved Superman, Planets and Nip It. His children appreciated all of them and were glad to have a Dad who could fix anything. John also built an elevated, A-Line club house for the kids, as well as a motorized mini bike and go-cart, which they loved.
Another interest of John’s was carpentry. He built the kitchen cabinets at his home, as well as the addition of the 2nd floor with the help of some friends. Many of his classroom projects, such as the very popular wooden hot plates, still remain a holiday staple for the family.
John collected train sets, everything from Lionel, to his beloved LGB. He made beautiful layouts that were realistic and fun. He loved giving his grandson his first train set for Christmas one year.
John was a hard worker. When he wasn’t teaching, or camping during the summers, he operated his own business with another teacher, designing and building decks and outdoor structures. His business was all word of mouth, and very successful. Many of his decks still stand 40 years later.
John will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
Visitation will be Sunday, February 1st, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm at Clair S. Bartholomew & Son, Inc., 302 S. Bedford Ave., Bellmore.
Mass of Christian burial will be 10am on Monday, February 2nd at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, 2320 Bedford Ave., Bellmore.
Burial to follow at St. Charles/Resurrection Cemeteries, Farmingdale, NY.