John J Erceg

Saugerties – John J Erceg, formerly of Cementon, died Tuesday, September 11, 2019 at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany, NY.  He was 87 years old.

Born of Yugoslavian migrants on July 22, 1932, he was the son of the late John P Erceg and the late Dominica Evko Erceg.  He married the former Anna May Lockwood in 1959 and she pre-deceased him in 1993.

A former marine, he was trained at Parris Island in the 1950s. He worked construction for many years before working maintenance at Kingston Hospital and Ferncliff Nursing Home. He retired in his early eighties from ShopRite, where he received much recognition for excellent customer service. He was a bowling champion of the No Can Do League of Kingston. A regular at OTB, he was known to frequent Dunkin Donuts and local diners. On Thursdays he played bingo at Saugerties Knights of Columbus.

Known adoringly as “Cowboy John” and the “Johnny Cash of Ulster County,” he was a beloved member of the karaoke community. A dancer and an award-winning singer, he performed at nursing homes and entertainment venues across the Hudson Valley. He had, and still has, many fans who believe he sounded better than Johnny Cash.

A humanitarian, animal lover, and cherished patriarch of the Peone family, he is survived by his daughter, Doreen Peone and her former husband Joseph of Saugerties; his step-daughter Donna Wesley and her husband Charles of Port Ewen; three grandchildren Vincent Peone and his wife Hana El-Assad, Dina and Angelina Peone; two step-grandchildren Lisa Whelan and Mary Dietz; two step great-grandchildren; his brother Anthony Erceg; and several nieces and nephews.  In addition to his wife, he was pre-deceased by five siblings: Mary Rosco, Sr Mary Josephine; Peter, Frank, and Michael Erceg.

Funeral services will be held 12:00 Noon, Friday, September 20, 2019 at Buono Funeral Service, Inc., Main Street Chapel, Saugerties, NY. Interment, with full military honors, will be held in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Kingston, NY.  Friends may call Thursday 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM and Friday 10:00 AM until 11:45 AM at Buono Funeral Service, Inc.  Please offer your condolences for John and his family at www.BuonoFuneralService.com.

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