Mr. John Anthony Sigbieny, Jr.

UTICA - Mr. John Anthony Sigbieny, Jr., age 41, passed away on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 and is now at peace in the presence of his Lord. His loving family was by his side during his time spent at MVHS. Born in New Hartford on July 30, 1978, John was the son of John A. Sigbieny, Sr. and Mary Ellen (Trombetta) Sigbieny. Since the age of 6 months old, John spent most of his childhood in the hospital due to end-stage renal disease. Then at age 12, he had a kidney transplant through his dad’s donation. He was able to resume a more normal life and he had a “Make-A-Wish” granted. Johnny was entranced by his idol, Richard Dean Anderson who plays the protagonist in the action adventure TV series “MacGyver”, and his wish came true when he and his family traveled to the filming site of the episode “Good Knight MacGyver” and he met his hero on what Johnny described as the “greatest day, ever!” John attended Holy Trinity Elementary School and was a graduate of T.R. Proctor High School/Class of 1998. He had a self-taught talent at sketching in pencil and charcoal, and he enhanced his talents at MWPAI School of Art. John worked as a cashier at Price Chopper on Genesee Street where he made some great friends, especially his supervisor Greg Velez who remained a loyal friend to the end. He then worked as a cleaner for the Utica City School District for nearly 10 years, during which time he underwent his second kidney transplant in 2006. Being the resilient man that he is, he returned to the district and was a Lunch Monitor where he enjoyed working with children. A jokester and perennial prankster, Johnny saw humor in adversity and wanted to make others laugh, …not everyone has the distinction of being “Class Clown” in their yearbook! He was also a warrior, and he fought and defied the odds. He rarely did what was instructed, and he took his younger sister hostage on many missions. His sister defended him, no matter what the cause, when it came to his medical care. Johnny had many interests and pastimes. He was enthralled with Playstation, an avid comic book reader, was a movie aficionado and Sylvester Stallone was his idol. Rocky and Rambo were among his favorites. He also could endure any scary movie, was entertained by Highway to Heaven, Dr. Phil, and Impractical Jokers, where he found humor at its best. He had a love for basketball and Michael Jordan was his favorite athlete and the Chicago Bulls was his team. He drove cars fast, windows down, Eminem music on high volume. He was considered one of the worst drivers, and his car, a dented Dodge Dart had a million miles! Johnny really tried to eat healthy, but he had a hankering for Chinese food and could be found eating at the wrong places just to hang with his friends. He had a fascination for Christmas lights and he trolled the street seeking the best decorations; very much like National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation”. When he wanted a new family canine, a Jack Russell Terrier named “Taz” rose to the challenge and became Johnny’s pal and a constant source of companionship. John received his Catholic sacraments and prayed in his own way. He knew the Lord, and the Lord knew he had angels watching over him. John leaves his devoted parents, his mother Mary Ellen, and his father John; his sister, Merissa “Sissy” Sigbieny (also a great source of love and inspiration) and Billy Melendez; maternal grandmother, Micky (Sadowski) Trombetta; wonderful aunts and uncles who loved him unconditionally, Joni “Coco” Trombetta, Paula “Fete” Trombetta; George and Debbie Sigbieny, Cindy “Candy” Sigbieny; great-uncle, Richard DeFazio; cousins, especially Kari Macero; and his special lady friends the “plastics”, Lindsay, Jeana, Emily, and Chrissy “Dolce Meadow” who were his coolest friends. He was predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Richard P. “Dick” and Marie (Perritano) Trombetta; maternal great-grandparents, Paul and Stella (Talento) Perritano; paternal grandparents, George and Maria (DeFazio) Sigbieny; and aunt Regina Sigbieny. The family is grateful to John’s go-to physicians, Dr. Anwar Wassel and Dr. Emile Wassel; the MVHS Dialysis Unit at the Faxton Campus who provided empathetic and exceptional care for John; the staff of MVHS at St. Elizabeth ICU and 3rd Floor, Renee, Ryan, Emily, and Courtney who went above and beyond; and the extraordinary personnel of 3C, Amanda, Mike, and Allie; they were extended family who advocated for Johnny with so much love. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 4:00-7:00 at the Eannace Funeral Home, Inc., 932 South St., corner of Hammond Ave. His funeral service and Celebration of Life will be offered at 7:00. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of CNY online at https://cny.wish.org; envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Mr. John Anthony Sigbieny, Jr.

July 30, 1978 - August 7, 2019