Michael P. Surso

Michael Paul Surso, 68, died Aug. 4, 2007, peacefully in his sleep. He was born March 16, 1939, to the late Michael Surso and the late Pauline Surso Redelfs.

Upon graduating from St. Louis University, he began working for International Harvester (now Navistar International) first in sales and later in management. While in semi-retirement he sold trucks for Selking International, Fort Wayne. He was proud that many of these trucks eventually became fire trucks and ambulances serving people throughout the country.

He was graduated from Little Rock (Ark.) Catholic High School and was looking forward to his 50th class reunion next month.

Since moving to Syracuse in 1989, he became active in the Knights of Columbus, for which he was a driving force to buy the current building so that the weekly bingo games could produce more revenue for needy causes within the community. He also was a Fourth Degree Knight.

He is a past president of the Syracuse Lions Club and a recipient of the W.P. Woods Award for service and leadership. He once drove a used ambulance filled with clothes and supplies to southwest Texas, where it was taken to a needy community in Mexico. He also traveled to Mexico on a Lions Eye Glass Mission.

He was vice president of the Fort Wayne chapter of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization, was a past member of the board of the Papacheechie Protective Association and was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

He was the loving husband of Virginia Nizamoff Surso. He also is survived by a daughter Kathryn (Jon) Rodriguez, San Francisco; a sister Barbara (Jerry) Mauch, Indianapolis; stepson Christopher (Liane) Brazis, Dryden, Mich; stepdaughter Elizabeth (Andy) Stevens, Syracuse; grandchildren Mark, Lisa, Andrew and Ben Brazis and Adam Stevens; step-granddaughters Chandera and Tara Stevens; an uncle Peter (Pat) Surso, an aunt Helen Tech, all of Cleveland, and numerous cousins and nieces and nephews.

May he rest in peace and may his memory be eternal.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Macedonian Tribune, Lions Cancer Fund or Knights of Columbus Scholarship Fund.

Viewing will be from 2 – 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at Mishler-Eastlund Funeral Home, Harris Chapel in Syracuse with a vigil at 7PM. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 7 at the St. Martin dePorres Catholic Church, 6941 E. Waco Dr., Syracuse, with viewing ½ hour prior to the Funeral Mass. Burial will follow in the Syracuse Cemetery.