Al Cannella

A Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Albert Anthony "Al"� Cannella, 92 of Cookeville will be Celebrated Wednesday December 12 at 9:30 a.m. at St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church with Father Chad Putoff officiating. Interment, with Military Honors, will follow in Cookeville City Cemetery. Mr. Cannella died peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday December 9, 2012. He was born in White Plains, New York on September 20, 1920 the youngest of nine children of Frank and Jennie Aiello Cannella. Mr. Cannella completed a BS Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Mississippi in l943. He married his wife of nearly 68 years, Lida Imlay on January 3, 1945 in Zanesville, OH. Following military services in the U.S. Army to his country during World War II and Korean Conflict, Mr. Cannella worked as a professional engineer in Chicago before moving his family to Cookeville in 1962 to join the faculty of Tennessee Tech University. An avid reader and a life-long learner, Mr. Cannella completed an MS in Mathematics at Columbia University in New York and an MS in Environmental Engineering at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. After 25 years teaching Engineering at TTU, in l987 Mr. Cannella retired to take up a new career as a Blacksmith. Mr. Cannella was an active member of St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.He was a long-time member of Cookeville Noon Rotary, and a Charter Member and Past-President of Cookeville Breakfast Rotary where he remained active in the organization to the age of 91. He was also involved for many years in the Artist Blacksmith Association of North America. In addition to his parents, Mr. Cannella was preceded in death by two sisters, Marian Cannella and Madeline Gall; and six brothers, Larry, Bill, Len, George, Ernie, and Carl Cannella. Survivors include his wife, Lida Imlay Cannella; nine children, Sue Cannella of Ware, NH; Len and Pat Cassidy Cannella of Worland, WY; Jenny and Phil Partin of Cookeville, Bert and Gaile Sloan Cannella, Tempe, AZ; Alice Cannella and Cherry Cannella both of Chattanooga, TN; Jeanne and Bill Schmitzer of Cookeville; Hugh and June Cannella of Elizabethton, TN; and Carolyn Cannella of Abington, VA. Mr. Cannella is also survived by 9 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Active Pallbearers will be members of Knights of Columbus. Mr. Cannella"�s family suggest memorials be made to: Al Cannella Scholarship Fund at TTU PO Box 1915 Cookeville, TN 38505. His family will received friends Tuesday from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m.at the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home.