Louis R. Critelli

UTICA- Louis Robert Critelli, age 97, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 21, 2024, at the Wynn Hospital with the love of his family in is heart.

He was born on May 27, 1926, in Utica, a son of the late Dominick A. and Lena L. (Esposito) Critelli. Lou was a 1944 graduate of Utica Free Academy and would go on to serve his country in the US Navy as an Aviation Ordnanceman from September 1944 to June 1946. Upon his return home, Lou attended Utica College in 1947 and transferred to Clarkson College where he graduated as a Mechanical Engineer in 1951. After graduating, Lou began a career with the General Electric Co.  initially in a training program where he had three-month assignments in different product areas of the company, eventually landing into Utica GE’s Aerospace Group for most of his 33 years as a Product Designer and a Reliability and Quality Manager until his retirement in 1985. On July 2, 1976, he was married to Leona M. Klein, a union of dedicated love, blessed with 46 years of marriage until her passing on June 9, 2023. 

Lou began his second career of 19-years at Power Line Construction and PLC Trenching Co., A Critelli family-owned businesses in Clinton, working on special technical support tasks on traffic control projects, both locally and around NY State and wind and farm construction projects throughout the US. Lou’s avocation was politics and he served in a number of appointed and elected positions that include City Engineer, Civil Service Commissioner, Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority and 12 years as an elected City of Utica Councilman, serving most of those years as Majority Leader of the Council. Through his leadership came the merging of two like positions, Treasurer and Comptroller into one Comptroller position. Under his guidance also came the creation of the Municipal Golf Commission that has made the Valley View Golf Course one of the most beautiful and challenging in the area. Lou initiated the term limits petition to limit years of service for all City of Utica elected officials and was approved by the voters in 1992. 

He is survived by his sons, Steven (Dorian Meller) Critelli and David (Barbara Puleo) Critelli; his daughter, Jayne Critelli; his beloved grandchildren, Kyle Critelli, Dana Wrigley (Mathew), Dr. Kristen (Jason North) Critelli, Lauren, Michael and Amy Critelli, Lindsay Lucas and Joseph Dominick; one great-granddaughter, Lilah Abigail Wrigley; his sisters, Gloria Giglio, Patricia Calenzo, and Deanna Still; his stepchildren, Douglas Joslin and Lorraine Dominick.

Lou was predeceased by his brother, Richard (Antoinette Edicola) Critelli; sister, Marie (Michael) Morice; his son-in-law Nicholas Dominick and brothers-in-law, Anthony Calenzo and Russ Giglio.

Funeral services will be private and held at the convenience of the family with the Rev. Joseph Salerno officiating. He will be laid to rest next to his beloved wife, Leona in Calvary Cemetery Mausoleum.

Remembrances in Lou’s name may be made to the Williams Syndrome Assoc. at info@williamssyndrome.org or Upstate Cerebral Palsy, 125 Business Park Dr. Utica, NY 13502.