Obituary of CHARLES J. BURRIESCI

Charles J. (Chuck) Burriesci of Sun City, Az., and formerly of Stamford passed away peacefully with his loving wife by his side after a brief illness. Born in Greenwich, Ct. on May 5, 1954 to Marie and Joseph (Smitty) Burriesci, Chuck grew up in Stamford in a large Italian family in the innocence of the 1950s.He attended Stamford Public Schools and graduate from Rippowam High School in 1972. He graduated from the University of Bridgeport in 1977 with a Bachelor's degree in Music. He received a Master's degree in Science in 1995.The former resident was very active in music, performing in a number of groups and played in many venues from Stamford to the Caribbean. While living in New York, he worked at Hal Prince Music and Entertainment, a premiere booking agency there. The Stamford native taught music in the Stamford Public School System for many years, taught at Project Music, and gave private lessons.He continued teaching public school music and performing when he moved to Arizona in the mid-1990s at the Deer Valley School System.While living in Arizona, Chuck became a licensed counselor and worked in the behavioral health field. He was last employed by Concentra and the Recovery Innovations Crisis Center of Arizona.Chuck was a loving and caring individual and always maintained a keen sense of the need of others, sometimes offering help even before they would ask. Chuck was a devoted family man. He also enjoyed golf, watching the Yankees, going to the shooting range, car racing and washing his prized BMW. When younger, he rebuilt the family Chevy and raced it at local tracks.He is survived by his wife, Brenda Goding-Burriesci, his two sons, Smith Burriesci of Arizona and Wesley Burriesci of California; and his stepchildren Rachel Goding and Devin Smith both of Arizona.He is also survived by his loving sister Barbara (Bill) Cerulli, his niece Diane (Alan) Kwan and his great-niece, Madeleine Kwan all of Stamford. He was predeceased by both of his parents.The family would like to thank everyone for their kind words and expressions of sympathy and stories of how Chuck touched their lives. Calling hours will be Friday, January 29, 2016 from 3:00PM to 6:00PM at the Lacerenza Funeral Home, 8 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, Ct. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 10:30AM at Sacred Heart Church, 37 Schuyler Avenue, Stamford, Ct. Interment will follow at ST. John Roman Catholic Cemetery in Darien, Ct.