Obituary of Gregory E. Procopio

Gregory E. Procopio of Liverpool, New York passed away at the age of 52 on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Born on October 3, 1968, and native to the city of Rome, he was the son of Sandra Tyksinski and the late Gregory F. Procopio. Gregory graduated from Cazenovia High School at the age of 17 and joined the United States Army. After serving as a Specialist, and having been stationed in South Korea, he returned home. He went on to complete an associate degree at I.T.T. Technical Institute, where he graduated with honors. From there, he went on to work at Johnson Controls and Syracuse University. After leaving Syracuse University, he became a proud member of a team at W.C.N.Y.. It is also worth noting that, while working at each of these other positions, Gregory continued to cook at Kirby's in Fayetteville, New York (where he worked for more than 30 years). It was at both Kirby's and at W.C.N.Y. that Gregory was made to feel as though he was part of a family. Gregory was a hardworking and dedicated father. He was always willing to spread his kindness, he always had a smile, and he was always on his feet. He loved his daughter Kayleen more than anything. Among Gregory's other passions, he was greatly inspired by music and by writing poetry. While he utilized poetry as an outlet, his greater hope was that he could brighten the lives of others, sparking a truer and more meaningful perception of life. He spent much of his free time writing and publishing several books; Man Vs. World, Oceans Of Ink, and Where Darkness Meets The Day. Gregory is survived by his daughter, Kayleen Procopio (of Liverpool), his mother, Sandra Procopio (of Rome), his sister, Linda Procopio (of Rome), his brother Jeffrey Procopio (of Liverpool), his nephew, Anthony Procopio (of Rome), his niece, Angelina Baldwin (of Chittenango), and several great-nephews and great-nieces. He was predeceased by his first daughter, Cordelia Procopio and his stepson, Khalil Whidden. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 9:00 a.m., at St. John the Baptist Church with the Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery. There are no calling hours. Memorial contributions may be made in Gregory's name to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl, Memphis, TN 38105-9959 or to Shriners Hospitals for Children, online: www.lovetotherescue.org or Shriners Hospitals for children, Processing Center, PO Box 863765, Orlando, FL 32886 Arrangements are by the Nicholas J. Bush Funeral Home, Inc., 7751 Merrick Rd., Rome, N.Y. To offer online condolences, please visit www.njbushfuneralhome.com