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Peter Cozzolino
October 14, 1934 – May 20, 2025 Sharon Springs – Peter Cozzolino, a resident of Sharon Springs since 1986 and previously of New York City and Englewood, New Jersey, died at his residence on Tuesday May 20, 2025. He was 90.
Born in Harrison (Westchester County) on October 14, 1934, he was the son of the late Vincent P. and Theresa Marie (Scarangello) Cozzolino. Peter graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s in Commercial Illustration and trained as a medical illustrator. After college, he served in the US Army and then toured Italy on his own for a year to study that country’s art and architecture. Subsequently, he moved to Manhattan, where he worked as an artist and interacted with people in the visual and performing arts. His figurative bronze sculptures, most with classical themes, were represented in many private collections. He also sculpted and painted highly accurate original miniatures, including circus animals and carousel figures, that were sold in limited editions. Later, he moved to New Jersey and, always community minded, he co-founded the Old Church Cultural Center and School of Art in Demarest in 1974 (now The Art School at Old Church.) In 1986, he created a sculpture that became the Griffin Award from the John Harms Center for the Arts (now BergenPac) in Englewood. In 1984, his work pivoted to painting interior murals in public and private spaces, including the homes of celebrities in East Hampton, Manhattan, and Los Angeles. One of his last murals, depicting life in a 19th century Erie Canal village, was painted on an exterior wall in Fort Plains, New York. In 1986, he became a part-time resident of Sharon Springs and eventually moved there full time and opened Chartwell Studios in the village with his life partner of 45 years, the late Marguerite MacFarlane (July 26, 2013). Chartwell focused on fine and decorative arts, including teaching. Peter studied piano for eight years during his youth, collected old pianos in his older years, and was an inveterate punster. He served on the local zoning board and was a member of both the Sharon Historical Society and the Sharon Springs Chamber of Commerce. Survivors include many nieces and nephews, as well as several close friends in the village and beyond. He was predeceased by his four brothers: Robert and Vincent Sollitto and Anthony and Stanley Cozzolino. A Celebration of Life will be held locally at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley, P.O. Box 40, Howes Cave, NY 12092. Arrangements are by Lappeus Funeral Home, Sharon Springs. |
