Louis S. Cosentino

age 87, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania died peacefully on Friday, February 19, 2021 after an extended battle with lymphoma.

Lou was born June 21st, 1933, in the subsistence farming village of Sant’ Andrea, Italy. He immigrated to America in 1937, spending his fourth birthday on a ship with his mother and three older brothers en route to join his father, a laborer already settled in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, he transitioned well to his new language and urban surroundings, excelling in school while picking up jobs like shining shoes and working at the drug store to help with the family bills. 

After graduating from Brooklyn Tech High School in 1951, Lou studied at The Cooper Union, but soon left to help support his family.  He enlisted in the Army and was sent to Germany to apply his technical skills working on radar equipment. After discharge, it was back home to attend City College of New York on the GI Bill, then on to Princeton University where he earned his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1962, sponsored by his new employer, RCA. Lou would work for thirty years at RCA’s David Sarnoff Research Center in Princeton, New Jersey, where he held many patents and did pioneering work toward the development of flat panel television technology.

It was while attending Princeton that Lou met the love of his life, Marge, also from Brooklyn. His frequent weekend trips to see her earned him the nickname “The Princeton Flash”. Lou and Marge married in June of 1962, and quickly settled in New Jersey. They enjoyed a vibrant home life with their three sons and the company of many great friends and relatives through fifty-eight years of marriage.

Lou enjoyed family, food, music, reading, taking a “quick dip” at the pool, football Sundays, running and working outside. He always kept an open mind and liked discussing things of interest to him and to others; he was a good listener. If he did anything excessively, it was looking for balance.  “Everything in moderation,” he would famously say. He read The New York Times from cover to cover for decades. This kept him informed across a wide variety of topics and made him a frustrating opponent at Trivial Pursuit. In his forties, Lou ran a marathon with his son Paul, after taking up running less than a year earlier.

With time to indulge his broad interests at his leisure, Lou thoroughly enjoyed his retirement years.  Lou and Marge moved to Pittsburgh in 1996 to be closer to their sons and daughters-in-law, whom he cherished like the daughters he never had.  They would welcome eight grandchildren, who found Grandpa’s silly side very entertaining, and whose love, good company and activities helped keep Lou young and on his toes for the rest of his life. 

In his final years, Lou showed tremendous courage through Marge’s and then his own health challenges. He patiently and selflessly cared for Marge while learning to cook and tend to the household chores. Through it all, he never lost his willingness to adapt, or his signature confidence.  When asked how his linguine with white clam sauce turned out, you could expect only one answer: “It was excellent… very consistent,” he would say.  

Lou is survived by his sons, Paul (Katherine), James (Lara) and Andrew (Christy); and grandchildren, Thomas, Sophia, Peter, Nicolas, Josephine, Claire, Julia and Anthony; his brother, Joseph (Terry), and sisters, Victoria Katibah and Antoinette Dimino (Vincent). He also leaves behind many cherished nieces and nephews and extended family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Marguerite “Marge” (Deluca), his parents, Bruno and Teresa (Nestico), his brothers and sisters-in-law, Andrew and Bianca, and Frank and Theresa, and brother-in-law, George Katibah.

A private interment will be held at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery, Pittsburgh.  In lieu of flowers, the family gratefully requests donations be made to The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank www.pittsburghfoodbank.org/give or mail to 1 N. Linden St. Duquesne, PA 15110

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